Events

A panel of experts joined Larry Levitt, KFF’s executive vice president for health policy, for a discussion on the concept of site-neutral payments, including why it has become an issue for policymakers and private payers like insurers and employers, how Medicare payments currently work, how various proposals would change the law, and the potential impact of those changes.

New weight loss drugs, such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro (tirzepatide), could be transformative for people who struggle with obesity and obesity-related medical conditions, but there are major questions to consider related to insurance coverage, the cost of the drugs, and who has access. On August 4, three experts joined Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, for a 45-minute “Health Wonk Shop” discussion about the questions surrounding what a new generation of weight loss drugs means for patients and payers.

Three experts joined series moderator Larry Levitt in a discussion about work and reporting requirements in public programs such as Medicaid, their effects on enrollment and employment, and what we can expect on the state and federal levels regarding the future of Medicaid work requirements.

With the Biden administration’s announcement of the first 10 drugs to be negotiated for Medicare as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), an array of legal challenges from the pharmaceutical industry is potentially the biggest obstacle to implementation. On Tuesday, September 12, two legal experts and a health policy expert joined Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, for a 45-minute discussion about the legal issues underpinning these lawsuits and how they intersect with the policy goals of the legislation.

Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are increasingly scrutinized intermediaries in the U.S. health care system, negotiating discounts on prescription medications for health insurers and employers while collecting rebates from drugmakers. On June 14, two experts joined KFF’s The Health Wonk Shop and series moderator Larry Levitt in a 45-minute discussion about the power and practices of PBMs.

Watch an online conversation led by Céline Gounder, a physician-epidemiologist and the host of “Eradicating Smallpox,” Season 2 of the “Epidemic” podcast. The docuseries explores the parallels between the campaign to end a centuries-old disease and the challenges public health faces today.

KFF hosted CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky for a discussion focused on the status of COVID-19, the CDC’s priorities for the future, including the agency’s recent reorganization and other potential reforms, and how CDC is considering the health implications of climate change. Dr. Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF, made introductory remarks. Dr. Jen Kates, senior vice president and director of KFF’s work on global health and HIV policy, moderated a discussion with Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Judy Monroe, CDC Foundation president and CEO, who discussed the future of public health as well as the role of public-private partnerships.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Opill—the first over-the-counter daily oral contraceptive pill in the United States. Beginning in early 2024, people will be able to purchase Opill without a prescription, expanding options for contraceptive access across the country. On September 15, 2023, a panel of experts joined Laurie Sobel, associate director for KFF’s Women’s Health Policy program, to explore approaches to covering over-the-counter oral contraception without a prescription. The panel discussed lessons learned from the implementation of private insurance or Medicaid coverage from the perspectives of various stakeholders.

KFF held a web event on September 20, 2023 to discuss Medicare marketing practices in advance of the open enrollment period, which begins Oct. 15. As part of the event, KFF released a new analysis of television ads that aired during last year’s open enrollment season and share insights from focus groups with enrollees about their perceptions of the marketing efforts.

KFF estimates that enrollment in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will have grown by 23.3 million enrollees, to nearly 95 million, by the end of March, when the federal continuous enrollment provision expires. On Thursday, March 16, 2023, KFF hosted an hour-long web briefing focused on how state Medicaid programs are approaching this unwinding of the continuous enrollment provision. States’ existing enrollment and renewal procedures and their differing approaches to the unwinding will have major impacts on Medicaid enrollees, state spending, and broader health coverage trends.