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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.
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This partnership polling report from KFF and The Cook Political Report examining the attitudes and experiences of voters in in four states (Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) that were previously considered Democratic strongholds. It probes voters’ views of President Trump and the Democratic primaries, their motivations for voting, and issues including health care, the economy, immigration and trade a year out from the 2020 general election.
This issue brief presents ten, high-level key questions regarding current public option proposals supported by both Democratic presidential candidates and Members of Congress.
A number of states have taken steps to provide consumers with more affordable coverage options in the individual market, including the marketplaces. Some states are implementing strategies that lower premiums by building on, and increasing the stability of the individual market, while other states are expanding the availability of lower cost coverage sold outside the marketplaces that does not comply with ACA standards—an approach that could increase marketplace premiums further. This brief examines these different approaches and discusses the implications of state policy choices.
Individual market insurers are expecting to return to consumers a record total of about $800 million in medical loss ratio rebates for 2018, a year in which the insurance companies posted their best annual financial performance under the Affordable Care Act to date. Financial results for 2018 suggest that insurers in the individual market are generally returning to or exceeding profitability levels seen before 2014, when ACA insurance market rules took effect, including the requirement to cover people with pre-existing conditions.
The high cost plan tax (HCPT) sometimes referred to as the Cadillac tax, is an excise tax on the cost of employer health benefit exceeding certain threshold. The HCPT provides a powerful incentive to control health plans costs over time, whether through efficiency gains or shifts in costs to workers. While many employers do not expect that the tax will take effect in 2022, others are already amending their health programs in anticipation. We estimate if the tax takes effect in 2022, 21% will be subject to the tax, increasing to 37% by 2030 unless firms reduce costs. Larger shares would be affected when counting workers' voluntary contributions to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
Individual market insurers are expecting to return to consumers a record total of about $800 million in excess premiums for 2018, a year in which the insurance companies posted their best annual financial performance under the Affordable Care Act to date, finds a new KFF analysis.
Although 2019 premiums for plans in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces are flat or falling in many parts of the country, they would be substantially lower still if not for several Trump administration-backed changes to private insurance markets, finds a new KFF analysis.
This month's KFF Health Tracking Poll explores public opinion towards a government-administered public option, and finds that attitudes can change after hearing common arguments. The poll also examines the public's views toward Medicare-for-all and the Affordable Care Act, as well as the top issues for Democrats ahead of the second round of presidential debates.
Medicaid continues to be the primary payer for home and community-based services (HCBS) that help seniors and people with cognitive, physical, and mental health disabilities and chronic illnesses with self-care and household activities. This issue brief presents Medicaid HCBS enrollment and spending data from KFF's annual state survey and includes tables with detailed state-level data.
This brief examines four options to promote the sale of health plan options in the individual or non-group market that are not subject to Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements for other major medical health plans. It reviews the trade-offs involved if such loosely regulated markets take root as an alternative to the ACA-regulated market, particularly as the repeal of the individual mandate penalty takes effect next year.
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