Policy and Political Implications of the Supreme Court Case on the Affordable Care Act February 29, 2012 Event This webcast features a Kaiser Family Foundation briefing held on March 14, 2012, examining the policy and political implications of the pending U.S. Supreme Court case on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). At the briefing, the Foundation released new polling data on the public’s views about the case as well…
Explaining Health Care Reform: Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) February 29, 2012 Fact Sheet This fact sheet explains the Medical Loss Ratio requirement under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The MLR provision limits the portion of premium dollars health insurers may spend on administration, marketing, and profits. Under health care reform, health insurers must publicly report the portion of premium dollars spent on health care and quality improvement and other activities in each state they operate. Insurers failing to meet the applicable standard must pay rebates to consumers and businesses.
Private Insurance Benefits and Cost-Sharing Under the ACA February 28, 2012 Perspective The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released guidance on the two key components that determine the level of protection that private insurance plans will provide to consumers under health reform. The first involves the services that insurance plans must cover, and the second involves how much patients…
Insurance Coverage of Contraceptives February 21, 2012 Perspective In this post, we answer some of the key questions about the new contraceptive coverage policy generally, and more specifically, how it will be applied to religious organizations.
Quality Care for Less Money: Can Regional Successes Go National? February 15, 2012 Event On February 15, the Kaiser Family Foundation hosted an event featuring a PBS documentary with former Washington Post correspondent T.R. Reid – U.S. Health Care: The Good News – which explores efforts to provide low-cost, quality health care in the U.S. The film looks at variations in health spending across…
The President’s Budget Request: What Does It Mean For U.S. Global Health Efforts? February 14, 2012 Event On Tuesday, February 21, the Kaiser Family Foundation held a live webcast to assess President Obama’s fiscal year 2013 budget proposal and potential implications for global health. The webcast featured a panel of global health policy experts who analyzed the Administration’s proposal and how it compares to current funding levels,…
Essential Health Benefits: Balancing Affordability and Adequacy February 3, 2012 Event Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), insurance plans offered through state insurance exchanges as well as non-grandfathered plans offered in the individual and small group markets – will be required to cover a set of health benefits and services called the “essential health benefits” package. Guidance issued…
People with Disabilities and Medicaid Managed Care: Key Issues to Consider February 1, 2012 Issue Brief As many states expand their use of managed care in Medicaid, a growing number of beneficiaries with disabilities are being enrolled in risk-based managed care arrangements for at least some of their care. Further growth in managed care is expected in 2014, when the Affordable Care Act expands Medicaid eligibility…
Medicaid and Managed Care: Key Data, Trends, and Issues February 1, 2012 Issue Brief This brief provides a snapshot of the Medicaid program’s use of managed care to deliver services to beneficiaries. It examines the prevalence of managed care in state Medicaid programs; the various approaches states have used, including primary-care case management; managed care for long-term services and for beneficiaries dually eligible for…
Health Insurance Coverage in America, 2010 February 1, 2012 Report Over 49 million people in the United States had no health insurance coverage in 2010—more than one in every six (18.5%) of the population under age 65. Having a clear picture of who the uninsured are is fundamental to addressing this nation-wide problem.This slideshow provides figures and tables on the…