Access to Care - Research and Data from KFF

Report Examines the Role of Medicare and the Indian Health Service for American Indians and Alaska Natives

Dec 18, 2014

News Release

A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the role of both Medicare and the Indian Health Service (IHS) in providing access to health care for about 650,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives who are age 65 and older or who have permanent disabilities. While Medicare provides important health care coverage for most in this group, its relatively high cost-sharing and gaps in benefits can be problematic for American Indians and Alaska Native Medicare…

The ‘Private Option’ Medicaid Expansion in Arkansas Has Helped Reduce the Uninsured Rate and Uncompensated Care Costs While Boosting the State’s ACA Marketplace

Aug 26, 2015

News Release

A new issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that Arkansas’ “private option” Medicaid expansion has helped reduce the number of uninsured and bring down uncompensated care costs while strengthening the state’s ACA marketplace. A Look at the Private Option in Arkansas draws upon early data as well as interviews conducted in spring 2015 with state officials, providers, insurance carriers, and consumer advocates to provide an initial look how implementation of the private option…

The COBRA Subsidy and Health Insurance for the Unemployed

Apr 16, 2010

Issue Brief

With the nation's unemployment rate rising to its highest levels in decades as a result of the recession, many families have lost their employer-sponsored health coverage or are at risk of doing so. In an effort to help people maintain coverage after a layoff, the stimulus legislation known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides temporary subsidies to some workers so that they can maintain their previous employer-sponsored coverage through COBRA after…

Prescription Drug Coverage for Medicare Beneficiaries: A Side-by-Side Comparison of S. 1 and H.R. 1 and the Conference Agreement H.R. 1

Nov 1, 2003

Report

This document, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., provides a detailed side-by-side comparison of the prescription drug provisions of the Conference Agreement (H.R. 1) passed by the House and Senate in November 2003 and the House (H.R. 1) and Senate (S. 1) Medicare proposals passed in June 2003. Report (.pdf)

Briefing – A Foundation for Health Reform: Findings of An Annual 50-State Survey of Eligibility Rules, Enrollment and Renewal Procedures and Cost-Sharing Practices in Medicaid and CHIP for Children and Parents During 2009

Nov 29, 2009

Report

In 2009, despite the bleakest economic picture in years, states managed to safeguard and in some cases expand health coverage for children and parents in their Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's annual 50-state survey of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility rules, enrollment and renewal procedures and cost-sharing Practices. That was in large part due to the substantial help that states received through the congressional reauthorization of CHIP and the…

HIV in the Southern United States: Regional Challenges & Opportunities

Jun 25, 2014

Feature

HIV in the Southern United States – Regional Challenges & Opportunities Download

A Closer Look at the Work Requirement Provisions in the 2025 Federal Budget Reconciliation Law

Jul 30, 2025

Issue Brief

On July 4, President Trump signed into law a budget reconciliation package once called the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” that includes significant changes to the Medicaid program. This issue brief provides an overview of the Medicaid work requirement provisions.

Health Reform and the Art of Federalism

Jun 8, 2011

Perspective

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced significant changes to the premiums charged in the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP), aka the "high risk pool" created by the Affordable Care Act. Premiums will now be up to 40% lower depending on the state (in some states the cost to enrollees is unchanged), and application procedures will be eased. The PCIP plans provide coverage for people who cannot buy coverage in the…

State Policies Connecting Justice-Involved Populations to Medicaid Coverage and Care

Dec 17, 2021

Issue Brief

The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified pre-existing health disparities for justice-involved populations, with coronavirus infection rates among incarcerated populations higher than overall infection rates in nearly all states. Justice-involved individuals are disproportionately low-income and often have complex and/or chronic conditions, including behavioral health needs. Although the statutory inmate exclusion policy prohibits Medicaid from covering services provided during incarceration (except for inpatient services), states may take other steps to leverage Medicaid to improve continuity of care for…

Telehealth Delivery of Behavioral Health Care in Medicaid: Findings from a Survey of State Medicaid Programs

Jan 10, 2023

Issue Brief

This issue brief reports findings from KFF’s Behavioral Health Survey of state Medicaid programs about policies and trends related to telehealth delivery of behavioral health services.

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