Allowing Medicare to Negotiate Drug Prices Is A Popular Idea But May Not Produce Substantial Savings February 9, 2016 News Release In response to rising drug costs, some policymakers and presidential candidates, including Republican Donald Trump and Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, have proposed allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies over the price of prescription drugs, in contrast to the current approach under Medicare Part D drug where…
What Do We Know about Social Determinants of Health in the U.S. and Comparable Countries? February 9, 2016 Slideshow
JAMA Forum: Surprise, Surprise February 3, 2016 Perspective Larry Levitt’s February 2016 post explains how “surprise medical bills” — unanticipated charges for out-of-network care – can happen. It describes some government approaches to the issue and outlines the challenges to protecting consumers. The post is now available at The JAMA Forum.
Health Care Spending Among Low-Income Households with and without Medicaid February 4, 2016 Issue Brief This brief analyzes data from the 2014 Consumer Expenditure survey to measure the impact of insurance on the health care spending and budgets of low-income households.
Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation: Overview and Key Issues in Medicaid Expansion Waivers February 24, 2016 Issue Brief This issue brief describes the Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefit, how states administer it, and the reasons that beneficiaries frequently use NEMT. It also explores current policy issues related to NEMT in the context of alternative Medicaid expansion waivers.
Contraceptive Coverage Court Case in a Changing Supreme Court Landscape February 23, 2016 News Release Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the Zubik v. Burwell case, another challenge to the Affordable Care Act, this time to the contraceptive coverage requirement brought by nonprofit corporations. After the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, this already complicated and charged case has taken on an additional question: …
Medicaid and American Indians and Alaska Natives September 7, 2017 Issue Brief This brief provides an overview of the American Indian and Alaska Native population, describes the role of the Indian Health Service and Medicaid for this population, and discusses the impact of the Medicaid expansion for this population.
Will Poor Health Status in the South Be an Issue in 2016 Primaries? February 18, 2016 Perspective Drew Altman discusses whether the presidential candidates will discuss poor health status in the South in this Wall Street Journal Think Tank column.
Poll: Two Months After Hurricane Maria, A Growing Majority Of Americans Say Puerto Ricans are Not Yet Getting the Help They Need November 20, 2017 News Release Two months after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, a growing majority of Americans say that Puerto Ricans affected by the devastating storm are not yet getting the help they need, the November Kaiser Family Foundation Tracking Poll finds. This month, 70 percent of the public say that people in Puerto…
Public Health in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria November 17, 2017 Issue Brief This issue brief provides a snapshot of key public health challenges in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. It discusses topics such as mortality, food, water, sanitation, health care infrastructure, and mental health on the island in the wake of the storm.