New KFF Poll Finds that Many Older Voters Are Unaware of Medicare Drug Price Negotiation, But Awareness Has Grown May 15, 2024 News Release A new KFF poll finds that many older voters are unaware of the provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that for the first time requires the federal government to negotiate the price of some prescription drugs in the Medicare program, a key campaign issue for President Joe Biden. The 48%…
Final Prior Authorization Rules Look to Streamline the Process, but Issues Remain May 2, 2024 Issue Brief This brief examines the final CMS regulations governing prior authorization in Medicare Advantage, Marketplace, Medicaid, and other plans, how they might address some current consumer concerns, and some issues that remain.
State Health Coverage for Immigrants and Implications for Health Coverage and Care May 1, 2024 Issue Brief Noncitizen immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, face significant barriers to accessing health coverage and care and are significantly more likely than citizens to be uninsured. Some states have taken up options in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to expand coverage for lawfully present immigrants and/or established fully state-funded programs to fill gaps in coverage for immigrants. This brief provides an overview of state health coverage programs for immigrants regardless of status and examines how health coverage for immigrants vary by state coverage policies using data from the 2023 KFF/LA Times Survey of Immigrants.
10 Things to Know About Medicaid Managed Care May 1, 2024 Issue Brief Our updated explainer provides an overview of comprehensive managed care, the most common way states deliver Medicaid services to enrollees, as well as new federal rules that strengthen managed care access standards.
Coverage of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Medicare April 30, 2024 Issue Brief This brief describes Medicare coverage of sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception, and compares that coverage with private insurance plans and Medicaid. These benefits are particularly relevant to nearly 1 million women of reproductive age (20-49) who are eligible for Medicare due to having a long-term disability.
10 Key Facts About Women with Medicare April 30, 2024 Issue Brief This brief examines 10 key facts about women with Medicare and presents new statistics on the health, economic and functional status of women with Medicare.
Five Facts About Older Adults’ Health Care Experiences by Race and Ethnicity April 29, 2024 Issue Brief This analysis highlights key findings about the health care experiences of older adults (ages 65 and older) based on KFF’s 2023 Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health, including variations by race and ethnicity.
A New Use for Wegovy Opens the Door to Medicare Coverage for Millions of People with Obesity April 24, 2024 Issue Brief The FDA recently approved a new use for Wegovy, the blockbuster anti-obesity drug, to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke in people with cardiovascular disease who are overweight or obese – a decision that opens the door to Medicare coverage of Wegovy, which is prohibited by law from covering drugs used for obesity. This brief analyses how many Medicare beneficiaries could be eligible for the new use of Wegovy and the potential impact on Medicare spending.
Examining New Medicaid Resources to Expand School-Based Behavioral Health Services April 23, 2024 Issue Brief In light of worsening mental health among youth, strategies have been implemented to improve access to behavioral health services in recent years, including expanding school-based care for students. Leveraging Medicaid to improve and address gaps in school-based behavioral health services has been a key strategy in recent years as youth mental health concerns have grown. Provisions from the Safer Communities Act of 2022 utilize Medicaid to expand both school-based health care and other mechanisms of youth behavioral health care. This issue brief explores the implementation of these provisions from the Safer Communities Act thus far, with a focus on the guidance issued from CMS.
With Current Staffing Levels, About 1 in 5 Nursing Facilities Would Meet Fully-Implemented Minimum Staffing Standards in the Final Rule April 22, 2024 Blog This analysis uses the most recently-available data to examine the percentage of nursing facilities that currently meet the minimum staffing requirements in the final rule.