Quick Insights Archive

Amid Implementation of Consequential Medicaid Changes, 21 States Will Have New Governors and DC Will Have a New Mayor in 2027

Nov 6, 2026

With 21 new governors set to take office next year— including five from different parties— states already navigating complex Medicaid changes now face an added layer of uncertainty. Leadership transitions can slow implementation and shift policy priorities, raising questions about how states will meet tight deadlines on Medicaid work requirements and other major changes in the new year.

Midterm Voters Give Democrats a Big Advantage to Handle Health Care

Nov 4, 2026

Liz Hamel

KFF's analysis of the 2026 Voter Poll by SSRS shows midterm voters gave Democrats a 19-percentage-point advantage on which party is better able to handle health care.

Court Decision Eases Burden of Proof to Qualify for Medical Frailty Exclusion to Medicaid Work Requirements

Nov 2, 2026

Jennifer Tolbert

A district court's Oct. 29 ruling, if it holds, will ease somewhat the administrative burden associated with implementing the medical frailty exclusion by reducing the complexity of the verification process, likely leading to fewer people losing Medicaid coverage for paperwork reasons.

Premiums for Employer-Sponsored Family Health Coverage Top $28,000 in 2026

Oct 22, 2026

Workers are paying on average $7,471 annually toward the premiums for employer-sponsored family health benefits this year, which is up 9%, or $621, from 2025, according to KFF’s annual benchmark health benefits survey of large and small employers.

The Trump Administration’s $90 Payment to Medicare Beneficiaries, Reminiscent of a Similar Proposal Six Years Ago, May Not Offset Rising Costs

Oct 5, 2026

Juliette Cubanski

Medicare’s standard Part B premium is $2,435 this year and is projected to increase by $79 annually for 2027 – meaning this increase alone would consume most of the $90 payment, which less than half of all beneficiaries will receive.

Early Data Show Uptick in Suicide Deaths in 2025 Following a Two-Year Decline

Sep 15, 2026

Overall, suicide deaths peaked in 2022 and declined through 2024 before increasing slightly by nearly 250 deaths in 2025. However, trends differed by method. Firearm suicides reached their highest level in 2025, according to provisional data, while suicides by other means continued to decline. Firearms accounted for 57% of all suicide deaths in 2025, up from 50% in 2015. Contacts to the federally mandated crisis number, 988 also continue to grow four years after implementation.

The Trump Administration’s Proposed $103,265 Fee for H-1B Visas Could Affect the Health Care Workforce

Aug 26, 2026

Drishti Pillai

The proposed $103,265 fee could lead to reductions in U.S. health care workforce, increasing barriers to care….A decline in H-1B workers would disproportionately impact states that employ the largest shares of H-1B workers (NY, MA, CA, and PA), lower income and rural areas where H-1B health care workers often are employed, and smaller employers, who would face greater challenges paying the fee.

New Guidance on Public Charge Determinations Does Not Specify Key Concepts, Likely Resulting in Immigrant Families Facing Ongoing Confusion and Fear

Aug 19, 2026

Samantha Artiga

While the DHS guidance provides more details on public charge determinations under the new rule, it leaves key concepts unspecified and grants substantial discretion to individual immigration officers. This will likely result in ongoing confusion and fear among immigrant families that may deter them and their citizen children from participating in programs that help pay for health care, housing, or food even if they are eligible.

New Regulation Prohibits Federal Medicaid Funds From Covering Gender-Affirming Medical Care for Young People

Aug 13, 2026

Lindsey Dawson

If states do not provide coverage with state-only dollars and [gender-affirming] care cannot be financed in other ways, thousands of young people could be without a way to access what remains a recommended medical intervention.

As FDA Approves First-Ever mRNA Flu Vaccine For Older Adults, Past KFF Polling Showed Most In This Age Group Were Uncertain About the Technology’s Safety

Aug 7, 2026

On August 5, 2026 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever mRNA flu vaccine for adults 50 and older, following a trial of roughly 40,000 people. KFF polling in April 2025 found that most adults ages 50 and older were uncertain whether mRNA vaccines are safe.

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