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.
This policy watch examines global access to COVID-19 vaccines by country income level, assessing country income levels' shares of purchased doses and potential vaccination coverage, while also looking closely at the potential impact of COVAX in addressing vaccine access disparity between high-income and low- and middle-income countries.
This brief provides an overview of the most recent ACA case under review at the Supreme Court (Kennedy v. Braidwood Management) and discusses the implications of the potential rulings by the high court.
This issue brief presents findings from the focus groups including caregiver characteristics; physical, emotional, and mental caregiving demands of caregiving; their wages, finances, and opportunities for advancement; and what caregivers would like policymakers to know about their work.
Is AI Better for patients? What is changing on the ground? Chip talks with Dr. Patrick Conway, Chief Executive Officer of Optum, a health services and technology business under parent company, UnitedHealth Group. They discuss how to ensure the health care industry’s use of AI serves patients first, particularly when the same company bears financial risk and builds the AI that decides who gets care. They also discuss whether use of AI can make value-based…
This issue brief presents current state-level data about COVID-19 cases and deaths in settings that primarily serve nonelderly people with disabilities and summarizes available research on this population’s elevated risk of severe illness and death; explains how nonelderly people with disabilities and their LTSS providers are reflected in state vaccine prioritization plans; and discusses key issues related to vaccine access for these populations.
Recently Secretary of HHS Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., changed how the federal government tracks deaths in its official measles tally, after Pennsylvania reported four deaths. This Policy Watch reviews the two roles, strengths, and weaknesses of the two public health surveillance systems at the center of this change: the Nationally Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) and the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS).
The substantial Medicaid savings in the reconciliation bill that has been passed by the House could have major implications for nearly 15,000 federally certified nursing facilities and the 1.2 million people living in them. Nursing facilities provide medical and personal care services for older adults and people with disabilities, and Medicaid covered 44% of long-term institutional care costs in 2023.
Ahead of the 2024 general election, a new KFF brief examines abortion ballot initiatives in progress in 13 states. These 13 states could follow six other states that have voted on constitutional amendments to protect or restrict abortion since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. In those six states, the side favoring access to abortion prevailed. Citizen-led abortion ballot initiatives have captured nationwide attention and promise to be closely watched;…
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans rarely cover GLP-1 drugs approved solely for obesity treatment, according to a new KFF analysis of 2024 federal plan data. Wegovy, a drug that is approved for weight loss, is covered by just 1% of Marketplace prescription drug plans, compared to 82% of Marketplace prescription drug plans for Ozempic, which contains the same active ingredient as Wegovy (semaglutide) but is approved only for diabetes. When GLP-1 drugs are covered…
Managed care is the most common delivery system for Medicaid. Most states (42, including DC) use comprehensive managed care plans to provide care to at least some of their Medicaid enrollees, according to KFF’s updated explainer. Roughly 3 out of 4 Medicaid enrollees receive care through managed care organizations and payments to these organizations account for over half of total Medicaid spending. Five publicly traded firms – Centene, UnitedHealth Group, Anthem (renamed “Elevance” in 2022),…
© 2026 KFF
