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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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California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced broad plans to the state’s health care system almost immediately after taking the oath of office. Larry Levitt, Senior Vice President for Health Reform at KFF, answers three questions about what the plan's individual mandate and expanded subsidies could mean for the state and nationwide.
In anticipation of upcoming Democratic presidential debates, this poll finds that Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say that health care is a top issue they want to hear candidates talk about. When asked to say in their own words what health care issue they specifically want to hear about, affordability emerges as one of the top issues. The poll also probes the public about different possible implications of implementing a Medicare-for-all plan and finds that most…
At a time when debate is beginning about a national Medicare-for-all plan and other approaches to expanding coverage through public programs, this month’s KFF Health Tracking poll examines Americans’ early opinion on a range of options under consideration. The poll finds majority support for four different approaches: 77 percent of the public, including most Republican (69%), favor allowing people between the ages of 50 to 64 to buy health insurance through Medicare; 75 percent, including…
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.
This brief reviews findings from recent studies that compare Medicare and private health insurance payment rates for both hospital and physician services.
In health insurance systems designed to protect people with pre-existing conditions and guarantee availability of coverage regardless of health status, countervailing measures are also needed to ensure people do not wait until they are sick to sign up for coverage (as doing so would drive up average costs for other enrollees). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) included a variety of “carrots” (e.g., premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions) and “sticks” (e.g., the individual mandate penalty…
This poll explores the public’s attitudes towards, and experiences with, HIV/AIDS in the U.S. in light of President Trump’s announcement of his plan to significantly reduce new HIV infections in the U.S. within ten years. The poll also probes the public on why they may support or oppose a national health plan and find that people’s responses tend to echo the messages emphasized by both sides of the debate.
State approaches to adopting the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion have varied greatly by state based on state law, the political context, or other factors. While it does not cover how every state has enacted the Medicaid expansion, this issue brief highlights some of the different approaches states have taken to adopt the Medicaid expansion. Each state’s circumstances are unique, and the actions taken by one state may not apply to another state’s circumstances.
Marketplace open enrollment, the period during which consumers can shop for health plans or renew existing coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces, begins on Nov. 1. Recent policy changes at the state and federal levels have the potential to impact individuals and families purchasing health insurance for 2019. It’s the first open enrollment period following Congress’ repeal of the ACA’s individual mandate penalty, the requirement that individuals have minimum essential health coverage…
In this Axios column, Drew Altman discusses how public opinion seems to flip on eliminating the individual mandate as part of the tax legislation, from for it to against, when the public considers the consequences.
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