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KFF’s policy research provides facts and analysis on a wide range of policy issues and public programs.
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.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the organization’s core operating programs.
A new KFF poll provides new data on the public’s knowledge and attitudes about sexually transmitted infections and finds majorities of the public unaware of how common STIs are among adults in the U.S.
New federal legislation will require most private health plans to cover testing for the coronavirus with no cost sharing. Some states have adopted similar requirements for insurers they regulate, and many private insurance companies will voluntarily expand coverage for testing. However, some private coverage will not be subject to these requirements. To date, fewer changes have been adopted or considered with respect to treatment for complications from the disease. This brief reviews current coverage standards…
In response to the need to increase access to testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, recent federal legislation, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, amended by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, creates a new optional Medicaid eligibility pathway, with 100% federal matching funds, for states to cover coronavirus testing and testing-related services for uninsured individuals. This new option is available from March 18, 2020 through the end of the public health emergency period.…
Every week KFF recaps the past week in the coronavirus pandemic from our tracking, policy analysis, polling, and journalism. The June 2020 tracking poll finds that while a two-thirds of Americans support the protests against police violence, 56% say they are worried that recent protests may lead to an increase in coronavirus cases in their area.
Total coronavirus cases in the U.S. are still climbing, and this week the cumulative total surpassed 2 million. There have been over 114,000 total confirmed deaths in the U.S.
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.
At almost 27 weeks since the first coronavirus case appeared in the United States, we have reached 4 million cumulative cases -- only 15 days since crossing 3 million. While cases are climbing at increasing rates and the economy continues to suffer, the debate around the safety and feasibility of reopening schools for in-person instruction continued this week as state and local officials released their decisions around in person or online learning and the Centers…
This week saw protests across the country voicing outrage over how widespread racism in the United States impacts black lives. Structural and systemic racism have created longstanding disparities across economic and health indicators for Black Americans – including the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 in Black communities and other communities of color.
Recent federal legislation, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, amended by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, authorizes a 6.2 percentage point increase in federal Medicaid matching funds to help states respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue brief answers key questions about the new federal funds, drawing on two sets of frequently asked questions about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and CARES Act issued by the Centers for Medicare and…
Rising unemployment due to COVID-19 has implications for state budgets and Medicaid, as individuals who lose income may qualify for Medicaid or become uninsured. The magnitude of the coverage changes, as well as fiscal impact, is expected to be even greater than in the Great Recession.
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