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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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To document the affordability challenges posed by out-of-pocket health care costs for people with Medicare, this brief analyzes out-of-pocket health care costs as a share of Social Security income and total income, including other sources of income in addition to Social Security.
Because states have flexibility in designing their programs, state Medicaid spending and enrollment varies across states. This data note provides an overview of total Medicaid spending per enrollee by eligibility group and state.
You can, but generally only under special circumstances that qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). These circumstances include (but are not limited to) moving to a new location that is outside of your current plan’s service area or where additional plan options are available, moving back into the U.S. after living abroad, moving into or out of a facility, termination of Medicaid eligibility, if Medicare terminates your current Medicare Advantage plan, or if…
Health care debt is a widespread problem in the United States. Medicare offers coverage for a range of health care services, including hospitalizations, physician visits, prescription drugs, and post-acute care, but Medicare beneficiaries generally pay out-of-pocket for their monthly premiums and deductibles, cost-sharing for Medicare-covered services, and the cost of services not covered by Medicare. This data note examines findings from the KFF Health Care Debt Survey to assess the prevalence, sources and consequences of…
Nearly half (45%) of the public are at least somewhat interested in taking a prescription weight-loss drug, including many who say they only want to lose a little weight, though many people lose interest when presented with potential financial and medical drawbacks, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll reveals.The poll gauges the public’s interest in using prescription drugs to lose weight as a relatively new class of drugs, initially approved to treat diabetes, is garnering…
The Medicare Open Enrollment period runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. During this period, you can make many changes to your Medicare coverage, depending on the coverage you already have. You can change from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan (or vice versa). If you prefer Medicare Advantage, you can choose among the Medicare Advantage plans offered in your area during this period. If you are in traditional Medicare, and want…
Medicare Part C plans, also known as Medicare Advantage plans, are private health insurance plans, mainly HMOs and PPOs, for people enrolled in Medicare. If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you still have Medicare, but you get all of your Medicare-covered benefits through a private plan. Most Medicare Advantage plans also cover prescription drugs and most also cover other services, such as vision, dental, and hearing benefits. If you have Part A and…
Medicare Advantage plans denied 3.4 million prior authorization requests for health care services in whole or in part in 2022, or 7.4% of the 46.2 million requests submitted on behalf of enrollees that year, according to a new KFF analysis of federal data. That was a higher share of denials than in recent years. The share of all prior authorization requests denied by Medicare Advantage plans increased from 5.7% in 2019, 5.6% in 2020 and…
Medicaid helps fill gaps in coverage for veterans who are low-income, have disabilities, or are otherwise ineligible for military health benefits. It supports those with complex health needs and reduces out-of-pocket expenses. This brief presents five key facts about veterans with Medicaid and how policy changes in Congress could affect their coverage and access to care.
No. Drug coverage from the VA (Veterans Affairs) is considered creditable prescription drug coverage, which means the coverage is at least as good as what Medicare drug plans provide, so you do not need to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan. Other sources of creditable drug coverage include the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program, TRICARE (military health benefits), and Indian Health Services (IHS). People with creditable coverage should receive a notice from the…
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