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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 brief provides an overview of food insecurity among Medicaid enrollees during the COVID-19 pandemic, examines participation in federal nutrition assistance programs by Medicaid enrollees, and identifies potential actions to address food insecurity among Medicaid enrollees as needs grow in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
States budgeted for total Medicaid spending to increase at a faster pace than enrollment in fiscal year 2020, driven in part by rising costs for prescription drugs, provider rate increases and higher costs associated with caring for the elderly and disabled, according to KFF’s new 50-state Medicaid budget survey. The 19th annual survey of state Medicaid directors finds that officials expect total Medicaid spending to climb 6.2 percent while enrollment remains virtually flat, up 0.8…
Heading into tonight’s Democratic primary debate, most Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say the candidates are spending the right amount or too much time talking about ways to provide coverage to more Americans and Medicare-for-all, two topics that have dominated health care discussions in the past three rounds of Democratic debates, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. In contrast, large shares of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say that the presidential candidates are spending too little…
There is ongoing discussion as to whether Congress should waive COVID-19 treatment costs. To inform these discussions, this analysis examines the extent of health care cost-related problems among Medicare beneficiaries. The analysis is based on a composite measure of cost-related burdens that includes problems getting care due to cost, delays seeking care due to cost, and problems paying medical bills among people with Medicare.
The coronavirus pandemic has generated both a public health crisis and an economic crisis, with major implications for Medicaid, a countercyclical program. During economic downturns, more people enroll in Medicaid, increasing program spending at the same time state tax revenues may be falling. To help support states as enrollment in Medicaid grows and ensure existing enrollees maintain continuous coverage, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) authorized a 6.2 percentage point increase in the federal…
This analysis presents the most current data on out-of-pocket health care spending by Medicare beneficiaries, both overall and among different groups of beneficiaries. The analysis explores how much Medicare beneficiaries spend out of pocket in total on health care premiums and health-related services, on average; how much beneficiaries spend out of pocket on different types of health-related services; and what share of income beneficiaries spend on out-of-pocket health care costs.
This infographic examines public opinion on surprise medical billing in the United States as part of the Visualizing Health Policy infographic series, produced in partnership with the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
This Visualizing Health Policy infographic looks at the experience of unexpected or “surprise” medical bills in the United States. Out-of-network charges typically expose individuals to higher cost-sharing when they use services, and may lead to balance billing – in which providers bill patients directly, and often unexpectedly, at a higher rate. In the past two years, one in five insured adults had an unexpected medical bill from an out-of-network provider. Overall, two-thirds of adults are…
The June 2018 KFF Tracking Poll examines the top issues voters want to hear candidates talk about during their 2018 congressional campaigns, including the importance of specific health care positions such as continuing protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The Kaiser poll also examines the public’s views and experiences with prescription drug advertisements and pricing.
More people have health insurance than ever before under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which emphasizes preventive care, including no-cost HIV and STI counseling and screening for recommended populations. This fact sheet examines trends and disparities in STI prevalence, reviews the STI screening and preventive care coverage policies for private insurance and public programs, and discusses coverage gaps and confidentiality concerns in the provision of these services.
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