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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 timeline offers a historical view of significant U.S. federal policies and events spanning the early 1800s to today that have influenced present-day health disparities. It covers policies that directly impacted health coverage and access to care, relevant events in medicine, social and economic policies and developments that influence health, and efforts to tackle inequalities.
The Inflation Reduction Act requires the federal government to negotiate the price of certain high-spending drugs covered by Medicare. This analysis provides context for understanding the potential impact of negotiating prices for a limited number of Medicare-covered drugs by identifying the 10 top-selling Part D drugs in 2021, measuring the share of total Part D drug spending accounted for by top-selling drugs that year, and examining changes in spending and use of these drugs since…
With the Medicare open enrollment period set to begin Oct. 15, a perennial decision faced by Medicare beneficiaries is whether to get their coverage through traditional Medicare or the private plans known as Medicare Advantage. A new KFF review of 62 studies published since 2016 that compares Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare on measures of beneficiary experience, affordability, utilization, and quality finds few differences that are supported by strong evidence or have been replicated across…
This brief examines the final CMS regulations governing prior authorization in Medicare Advantage, Marketplace, Medicaid, and other plans, how they might address some current consumer concerns, and some issues that remain.
A new brief explains the implications of the most recent legal challenge contesting the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) requirement that most private insurance plans cover specific preventive care items and services—such as contraceptive services and supplies, and cancer screenings—at no cost to patients. In Braidwood Management v. Becerra, two Christian-owned businesses and six individuals in Texas have challenged the legality of the preventive care mandates on constitutional grounds. The plaintiffs are also challenging the requirement…
In September 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new opportunity for states to leverage federal funding on health care: the Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) model. With this model, CMS – under the auspices of the CMS Innovation Center, also known as CMMI -- aims to reduce the rate of growth in health care spending, improve people's health, and reduce disparities in health outcomes. This issue brief…
Oral health is key to overall health and well-being, and the use of dental services helps prevent and treat dental disease and improves oral health. The prevalence of unmet oral health needs is higher among people with low incomes, including those with Medicaid. This issue brief describes Medicaid dental coverage, examines the use of dental services for children and adults in Medicaid, and discusses current challenges and policy changes that impact access to oral health…
The 2022 KFF Women’s Health Survey (WHS) is the latest in a series of nationally representative surveys on women’s health conducted by KFF periodically since 2001. The survey’s objective is to better understand women’s experiences with contraception, access to health care, and other issues related to health and well-being. The 2022 survey includes 6,442 people ages 18 to 64, including 5,201 females (self-reported sex at birth) and 1,241 males, and was conducted from May 10,…
This literature review examines 62 studies published since 2016 that compare Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare based on measures of beneficiary experience, affordability, service utilization, and quality.
This analysis focuses on current state efforts, many of which were implemented during or after 2020, to address health disparities and advance health equity based on a review of publicly available materials from all 50 states and DC. In addition, case study interviews were conducted with 14 stakeholders in three states (California, North Dakota, and Michigan) to increase understanding of the factors contributing to success of these state initiatives, lessons learned, and potential implications for…
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