The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
KFF’s policy research provides facts and analysis on a wide range of policy issues and public programs.
KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the organization’s core operating programs.
Medicaid Financing Issues: Intergovernmental Transfers and Fiscal Integrity Since its enactment in 1965, Medicaid has been a joint venture between the states and the federal government. While each state administers its own Medicaid program within broad federal guidelines, the federal government provides over half of the program’s financing.
Navigating Medicare and Medicaid: Resource Guides for People with Disabilities, Their Families, and Their Advocates These guides explain the critical role Medicare and Medicaid have come to play in the lives and the futures of roughly 20 million children, adults, and seniors with disabilities - and give people with disabilities new information to help them…
Medicaid's Optional Populations: Coverage and Benefits Medicaid reform discussions have often focused around giving states greater flexibility over optional populations and services. This issue brief presents an overview of Medicaid's optional beneficiaries and services and provides examples of who qualifies as "optional" and the services they use. Issue Brief (.
Financing Health Coverage: The State Children's Health Insurance Program Experience Enactment of SCHIP sought a balance between increasing funds available for coverage and limiting total federal outlays.
Transitions is a video that explores some of the issues and challenges “dual eligibles” may face during the transition from Medicaid drug coverage to Medicare.
The New Medicare Prescription Drug Law: Issues for Enrolling Dual Eligibles into Drug Plans This report describes the characteristics of dual eligibles and then discussess four key elements of the transition of their drug coverage to Medicare. Issue Paper (.
A new study published in Health Affairs explains what caused Medicaid spending to rise from 2000-2003 and confirms the role Medicaid played in covering people during the recent economic downturn, and that Medicaid per enrollee spending grew at a slower rate than private insurance spending.
Three new reports focus on one of the biggest challenges in the implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act, the transitioning of drug coverage for individuals dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, who now get their drug coverage from Medicaid, to the new Medicare benefit.
Implications of The Medicare Modernization Act For States: Observations from a Focus Group Discussion with Medicaid Directors This report summarizes a discussion with a group of state Medicaid officials about the impact of the Medicare prescription drug benefit on state Medicaid programs. Report (.
This fact sheet provides a brief introduction to Section 1115 waivers in the Medicaid program and highlights policy issues related to recent waiver activity. Fact Sheet (.
© 2025 KFF