The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
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.
Patient-provider email messaging accelerated early in the COVID-19 pandemic as more patients sought medical care remotely, and the addition of billing codes for digital health services and subsequent changes in insurers’ payment policies have enabled providers to bill insurers and patients for messaging.
This issue brief provides an overview of how Section 1115 waivers have been used to address the health-related social needs of enrollees, including a summary of recent approvals for eight states.
KFF recently updated its interactive dashboard with national and state data on women’s health, as well as information about various policies that affect women’s health.
This brief provides an overview of diversity in clinical trials, disparities in access to novel drug therapies and other treatments, and the implications for health and health care.
The KFF State Profiles for Women’s Health database offers the latest national and state data and policies on a broad range of state-level statistics and policies of importance to women including health status, insurance and Medicaid coverage, use of preventive services, contraceptive coverage, sexual health, maternal and infant health, and abortion policies. Many indicators also provide state-level information for women of different racial and ethnic groups.
With the depletion of the federal-purchased supply of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and tests following the end of the public health emergency, this resource provides an overview of the implications of these changes for access to people covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance, as well as those who are uninsured.
State Medicaid programs are taking steps to address the opioid epidemic. State Medicaid efforts include improving access to OUD treatment medications, covering over the counter Narcan, and extending OUD treatment to soon-to-be-released inmates--a population at high risk of overdose death upon release.
This brief uses 2022 data from the National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (N-SUMHSS), an annual survey sent to all substance use and mental health treatment facilities to assess the supply and characteristics of these facilities at a national and state level. Despite the escalation of mental health needs and the increasing and evolving opioid epidemic, accessing treatment continues to be difficult--as indicated by consumer surveys and national data. Factors like the decline in psychiatric beds, financing barriers, difficulty accessing outpatient treatment, and the growing workforce shortages have led to more reports of unmet need and psychiatric boarding in emergency departments. Overall, there are approximately 14,700 facilities providing substance use treatment services and about 9,500 facilities that offer mental health services. More than eight in ten substance use treatment facilities and mental health facilities provide outpatient services; smaller shares offers more intensive inpatient services. Substance use treatment and mental health bed availability varies across states. Most substance use and mental health treatment facilities are non-profit; however, for-profit ownership is more common among substance use treatment facilities, whereas public ownership is more common among mental health facilities. Most facilities report high participation with private insurance and Medicaid, but lower for Medicare and there is variation across states. Reported Medicaid participation by substance use treatment facilities varies across states.
Ten months into the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision, states have reported renewal outcomes for half of all enrollees whose eligibility needs to be reviewed during the unwinding period, including 34% (32.1 million) who have had their coverage renewed, and 17% (16.
As the start of 2024, many issues are at play that will affect Medicaid coverage, financing, and access. This issue brief provides context for these Medicaid issues and highlights key issues to watch in the year ahead.
© 2025 KFF