Health Costs

Affordability and Spending

Public Views on Prescription Drug Costs: Regulation, Affordability and TrumpRx

Amid the Trump administration’s focus on lowering prescription drug costs, including its new TrumpRx website, KFF’s Health Tracking Poll finds that most Americans (59%) are worried about affording prescription drugs and support more regulation of prescription drug pricing (72%). Looking ahead to the 2026 midterm elections, the Democratic party currently holds the advantage when it comes to who voters trust to address the cost of health care, including prescription drugs.

Affordable care act

Poll: Health Care Costs, Expiring ACA Tax Credits, and the 2026 Midterms

Heading into this midterm election year, the cost of health care tops the public’s economic anxieties, and more than 4 in 10 voters say the issue will have a major impact on their vote, a new KFF Health Tracking poll finds. Two thirds of public say Congress "did the wrong thing" by not extending ACA enhanced tax credits, but Republicans largely say Congress “did the right thing.”

Health System Tracker

How Does Health Spending in the U.S. Compare to Other Countries? While the U.S. still spends the most in total dollars, eight OECD nations had a higher percentage increase in per-person health spending in 2024.

 

How Does Cost Affect Access to Health Care? In 2024, about 1 in 6 adults reported delaying or not getting healthcare due to cost, including medical or mental health care.

 

How Do Health Expenditures Vary Across the Population? Five percent of the population made up nearly half of all health spendings, pending an average of $72,918 annually in 2023.

NHE explorer

National Health Spending Explorer: Get up-to-date information on U.S. health spending by federal and local governments, private companies, and individuals.

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  • Premiums and Worker Contributions Among Workers Covered by Employer-Sponsored Coverage, 1999-2024

    Interactive

    This graphing tool allows users to explore trends in workplace-sponsored health insurance premiums and worker contributions over time for different categories of employers based on results from the annual Employer Health Benefits Survey. Breakouts are available by firm size, region and industry, as well as for firms with relatively few or many part-time workers, higher- or lower-wage workers, and older or younger workers.

  • The CBO Report That Didn’t Roar

    From Drew Altman

    In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman discusses a recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)'s payment and delivery demonstrations have cost Medicare money, and what it means for the future of value-based payment.

  • The Two Health Care Cost Crises

    From Drew Altman

    In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explores the nation's twin health cost crises of affordability, especially for people who are sick and need a lot of health care, and national health spending, and why the solutions often work at cross purposes.

  • It’s Not a Health Care Election, But Health Issues Might Still Add Up

    From Drew Altman

    In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explores the potential for some health care issues—including abortion, drug costs and other affordability challenges—to influence enough voters in swing states to make a difference in this year's presidential election.

  • Web Briefing for Media: 2019 Employer Health Benefits Survey

    Event Date:
    Event

    The Kaiser Family Foundation held a reporters-only web briefing on Wednesday, Sept. 25 to release the 2019 benchmark Employer Health Benefits Survey. This 21st annual survey provides a detailed look at the current state of employer-based coverage and trends in private health insurance for both large and small firms.

  • April 29 Web Briefing: How Large Employers View Rising Health Care Costs and the Role of Government

    Event Date:
    Event

    The COVID-19 pandemic and recent elections are changing the national conversation around expanding health care coverage and reining in rising health care costs. President Biden campaigned on a platform of expanding access to public health coverage in ways that could change the role of employer-sponsored health insurance, which currently covers about half of all Americans.