The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
KFF’s policy research provides facts and analysis on a wide range of policy issues and public programs.
KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the organization’s core operating programs.
In this brief, we examine the various interrelated factors that have contributed to rapid home test scarcity in the U.S. There are several interrelated factors that impact the availability of rapid home COVID-19 tests. These range from the regulatory environment to the supply chain to federal investment and messaging to affordability.
This brief provides an overview of the Medicare Advantage plans that are available for 2026 and key trends over time. In 2026, the average Medicare beneficiary has a choice of 32 Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans, two fewer than the 34 in 2025. Virtually all Medicare Advantage plans for 2026 provide multiple extra benefits like vision, hearing, and dental benefits, similar to last year.
This policy watch evaluates the pharmaceutical industry's claims that allowing the federal government to negotiate drug prices would restrict access to medications in Medicare. It explains what the current proposal to allow drug price negotiation would and wouldn't do.
A new KFF analysis examines a range of measures that may make it harder for states to respond to possible federal Medicaid cuts and finds that six states (Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, South Carolina, and West Virginia) rank in the top five for multiple risk categories. Across four broad categories of measures that could affect demand for Medicaid and states’ abilities to raise revenue or reduce spending—population demographic characteristics, health status of Medicaid enrollees,…
This brief describes early state plans to operationalize the medical frailty exemption for Medicaid work requirements and identifies key issues and questions states are facing, some of which may be answered in forthcoming CMS guidance.
This issue brief provides an overview of the potential impact not extending enhanced ACA premium tax credits could have on people with HIV and the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. Enhanced credits have improved insurance coverage affordability for millions of people, including those with HIV. People with HIV may be particularly vulnerable, given that they are more likely to have Marketplace plans and many also rely on the federally-funded Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to help cover…
Drawing on KFF's poll findings, this interactive dashboard tracks the public’s trusted sources for health information, attitudes toward vaccines, and use of news, social media, and AI for health-related information. It provides visual representations of the key trends in the public’s trust in health information and tracks exposure to and belief in false and unproven health claims.
Taken together, the new guidance on clinical trial requirements, the more restricted approval of the Novavax vaccine, and anticipated changes to CDC recommendations add up to fewer Americans eligible for COVID-19 vaccines and more limited access to these vaccines compared to previous years...such a shift would place the U.S. more in line with Australia, Canada, and countries in Europe.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores the performance of the U.S. health system on a number of cost, outcomes, and quality measures by comparing it with those in similarly large and wealthy OECD nations. It highlights that despite significant spending, Americans have shorter life expectancies and encounter more barriers to health care, influenced by both the health system's structure and broader socioeconomic factors.
This brief highlights lessons from “Medicaid unwinding" that could help inform work requirement implementation. State experience with Medicaid unwinding illustrated the complexity of Medicaid eligibility processes and that outcomes reflect federal and state policy decisions, implementation and systems.
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