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This report highlights certain policies in place in state Medicaid programs in FY 2024 and policy changes implemented or planned for FY 2025, which began on July 1, 2024 for most states.
“Short-term limited-duration” insurance plans are intended to fill a temporary gap in health coverage, such as when someone is between jobs. The maximum duration of short-term plans varies by state. Short-term plans must disclose to consumers that these plans are “NOT comprehensive health coverage.” Short-term plans often do not have the consumer protections found in Marketplace plans. For example, short-term plans can exclude coverage of pre-existing health conditions. Also, many short-term plans do not cover essential health…
This policy watch examines the burden of medical debt in North Carolina and the state’s new plan to leverage the Medicaid program to provide debt relief and support access to care for low- and middle-income North Carolinians.
Chemical food additive and pesticide concerns associated with the Make America Health Again (MAHA) movement are shared broadly across the public. But when it comes to voters, health care costs are a higher priority and bigger motivator, even among MAHA supporters, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds.
Based on your current income and asset amounts, you may qualify for Medicaid. Under the current rules, Medicaid helps many low-income people on Medicare with their Medicare premiums and cost-sharing requirements and may also cover some benefits that are not covered by Medicare, such as dental services and long-term services and supports. You might also qualify for extra financial assistance to help with the cost of Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. To find out…
Ahead of the Trump administration’s planned expansion of Medicare coverage for GLP-1s to treat obesity through temporary models and the availability of Medicare’s negotiated price for certain GLP-1 products beginning in 2027, this analysis examines CMS’s Medicare Part D claims data from 2019 to 2024 to document the increase in the number of beneficiaries being treated with GLP-1 drugs and the growth in Medicare spending and claims for these drugs.
This volume examines findings about trusted sources of vaccine information from the latest KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust. It also explores how the misrepresentation of studies and policy developments contribute to health narratives around vaccines, HIV and PrEP. Lastly, it summarizes new research on the use of generative AI to counteract vaccine misinformation.
This issue brief explains the rules for private insurance coverage of contraceptives at the federal and state level, the exemptions and accommodations available for certain employers, gaps in coverage for contraceptives obtained outside of the traditional clinical setting, and how changes in the agencies responsible for making contraceptive recommendations may affect coverage for contraceptives.
Medicare Advantage plans are private health plans, such as HMOs or PPOs, that are offered by health insurers that have contracts with the Medicare program to offer benefits to people with Medicare. The plans provide all Medicare-covered benefits under Parts A and B, and usually provide Part D prescription drug benefits as well. Most Medicare Advantage plans also provide benefits that are not covered under traditional Medicare, such as eyeglasses, some dental care, or gym…
The annual Medicare Open Enrollment period is designed for enrolling in or switching Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans, not Medigap policies. In most states, insurance companies can deny you a different Medigap policy and you won’t have guaranteed issue rights, unless you are either eligible to switch under a certain limited circumstances or you purchased your Medigap policy less than 6 months ago. This means that in many situations, insurance companies that…
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