Are the Tradeoffs from Prior Authorization Worth It?
In his latest column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman asks if prior authorization review could be eliminated entirely, discussing how it might be done and the tradeoffs.
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5 Key Facts About Medicaid Prescription Drugs
Issue BriefTo provide context for emerging debates about federal actions to address prescription drug costs, this issue brief highlights five key facts about Medicaid prescription drug coverage, payment, and administration.
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How Does Cost Affect Access to Health Care?
Issue BriefThis analysis explores trends in how the cost of healthcare affects access to care in the U.S. using National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. In 2024, about 1 in 6 adults (17%) reported delaying or not getting healthcare due to cost
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Oral Contraceptive Pills: Access and Availability
Issue BriefThis brief provides an overview of oral contraception, discusses private insurance and Medicaid coverage, and reviews strategies to promote and expand women’s access to oral contraceptives.
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What Medicare’s Temporary Program Covering GLP-1s for Obesity Means for Beneficiaries
Quick InsightsCMS’s efforts to expand Medicare coverage of GLP-1s for obesity could provide substantial benefits to millions of Medicare beneficiaries, given the potential demand for these highly effective medications…There are potential drawbacks to the short-term program, however.
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Health and Health Care Experiences of Immigrant Parents and Their Children During the Second Trump Term
Issue BriefThis brief provides data from the 2025 KFF/New York Times Survey of Immigrants on the health and health care experiences of immigrant parents and their children in the U.S. amid the current policy environment.
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Constrained Budgets Lead States to Restrict HIV Drug Access Through Ryan White
Policy WatchStates are facing constrained budgets, putting pressure on HIV programs, including the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. This Policy Watch explores how state Ryan White AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) are responding to these budget pressures, including by restricting eligibility and reducing the scope of services offered, actions that could led to negative health outcomes for people with HIV and lead to new HIV infections.
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Filling in the Gap in Federal Medicaid Funding to Planned Parenthood: State Responses
Policy WatchThis brief examines efforts in 11 states to fill in funding gaps created by the 2025 federal budget reconciliation law, which prohibits federal Medicaid funding for reproductive-health care services provided by Planned Parenthood and other organizations that also provide abortion care.
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Opioid Overdose Deaths: National Trends and Variation by Demographics and States
Issue BriefOpioid overdose deaths fell sharply from 2023 to 2024 (79,358 to 54,045), driven largely by decreases in fentanyl-involved deaths. Even after these declines, deaths remained above 2019, the year before opioid deaths increased sharply during the pandemic.
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Suicide Deaths: National Trends and Variation by Demographics and States
Issue BriefSuicide deaths fell slightly from their peak of 49,476 deaths in 2022 to 48,824 deaths in 2024, but trends by suicide method diverged: suicides by other means declined while firearm suicides reached their highest level and accounted for 57% of all suicides (up from 50% in 2014).