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In announcing these changes, CMS states that it is “facilitating the Part D program’s return to operating under regular market conditions.” Increasingly, however, these regular conditions appear unfavorable to the ongoing stability of the stand-alone prescription drug plan market, further tilting the playing field towards Medicare Advantage.
As Marketplace Open Enrollment nears, policy changes could leave millions of people facing substantially higher premiums and coverage loss, which could lead more consumers to purchase less expensive and less comprehensive coverage through short-term health plans. KFF analyzes short-term health policies sold by nine large insurers in 36 states, examining premiums, cost sharing, covered benefits, and coverage limitations and comparing them to ACA Marketplace plans.
Twenty drugs and dozens of insulin products used by 8.5 million Medicare beneficiaries would be subject to government drug price negotiation if the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) were enacted and fully implemented in 2022, according to a new KFF analysis.
While Republicans in Congress have largely opposed the IRA and Medicare drug price negotiation, President Trump appears to be embracing it. With this latest announcement, the Trump administration can take credit for delivering lower drug prices in Medicare, while Democrats can take credit for creating the Medicare drug price negotiation program in the first place.
This analysis of preliminary rate filings from 318 insurers across all 50 states and DC finds that small businesses with Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant plans could face a median premium increase of 11% for 2026.
As economic anxiety rises, KFF's Health Tracking Poll finds that younger adult, LGBT adults, Hispanic adults, and adults with modest incomes are among groups most likely to report difficulty earning a living and affording health care. Large shares of those who are uninsured or purchase their own insurance also report challenges earning a living and paying for care.
About one in eight adults (12%) say that they are currently taking a GLP-1 drug such as Ozempic or Wegovy either to lose weight or treat a chronic condition, an increase from 18 months ago, though the high costs of the medications remain a concern, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds.
To provide historical context for how changes to Medicaid spending may impact national health spending trends, this brief explores how Medicaid spending contributes to national health spending and how different service areas contribute to Medicaid costs.
This brief provides an overview of the Medicare Advantage plans that are available for 2026 and key trends over time. In 2026, the average Medicare beneficiary has a choice of 32 Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans, two fewer than the 34 in 2025. Virtually all Medicare Advantage plans for 2026 provide multiple extra benefits like vision, hearing, and dental benefits, similar to last year.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores Medicare, a federal health insurance program covering more than 68 million people, established in 1965 for people age 65 or older and later expanded to cover people under age 65 with long-term disabilities. In addition to detailing Medicare eligibility, coverage, and spending, the chapter examines the increased role of private plans in providing benefits and the financing challenges posed by increasing health care costs and an aging population.
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