Could Consumer Assistance be Helpful to People Facing Medical Debt? July 14, 2022 Blog Most (53%) adults with health care debt say they have received a medical or dental bill they thought contained an error at some point in the past 5 years, and most say a state consumer assistance program would be helpful to them.
The Last Major Phase of the COVID-19 Vaccination Roll-out: Children Under 5 June 21, 2022 Issue Brief With the FDA authorization of both Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 5, the last major phase of the U.S. vaccination roll-out is underway. This brief provides an overview of the characteristics of children under the age of 5 and discusses some issues to consider in rolling out vaccination to this age group.
Youth Access to Gender Affirming Care: The Federal and State Policy Landscape June 1, 2022 Issue Brief This brief explores the current state and federal policy landscape regarding gender affirming services for youth and the implications of restrictive state laws.
State Actions to Protect and Expand Access to Abortion Services May 16, 2022 Issue Brief This brief reviews the status of state actions to strengthen and guarantee abortion access to their residents, as well as to prepare for the likely increase in demand for abortion services in those states should the high court overturn the constitutional right to abortion established by Roe v. Wade.
Kaye Pestaina April 18, 2022 Person Kaye Pestaina is a vice President at KFF, where she directs its program on patient and consumer protections. She has more than 25 years of experience in health law and policy, as well as employee benefits law. Prior to joining KFF, Pestaina was a principal in Mercer’s Government and Human…
The Intersection of State and Federal Policies on Access to Medication Abortion Via Telehealth February 7, 2022 Issue Brief This brief outlines the intersection of federal policy regarding dispensing medication abortion with state laws regulating the provision of abortion services and mifepristone dispensing via telehealth and considers the implications of the recent FDA change in different states.
The No Surprises Act Begins January 2022: This is What You Can Expect December 10, 2021 News Release The “No Surprises Act,” which establishes new federal protections against most surprise out-of-network medical bills when a patient receives out-of-network services during an emergency visit or from a provider at an in-network hospital without advance notice, will take effect next month. A new KFF brief outlines what to expect in…
Consumer Appeal Rights in Private Health Coverage December 10, 2021 Issue Brief The Affordable Care Act (ACA) gives consumers the right to appeal private health plan claims denials and other adverse decisions, including the incorrect application of cost sharing, although limits apply. This issue brief describes consumer access to appeals and limits on appeal rights that have been adopted through federal regulations.
Voices of Paid and Family Caregivers for Medicaid Enrollees Receiving HCBS October 8, 2021 Issue Brief To help inform the ongoing debate, KFF conducted four focus groups in July and August 2021 with direct care workers and unpaid caregivers who provide HCBS, assisting seniors and people with disabilities with daily self-care and household activities. These focus groups are not necessarily generalizable to all caregivers, but can provide insight into their experiences to help inform current policy debates.
Why Drug Price Negotiation Has Staying Power June 25, 2021 Perspective In this Axios column, Drew Altman looks beyond Medicare to what’s at stake for employers and workers in the debate about the government negotiating drug prices.