Access to Care - Research and Data from KFF

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…

Key Issues to Watch for Justice-Involved Populations: COVID-19, Vaccines, & Medicaid

Feb 24, 2021

Issue Brief

This issue brief explores the impact of COVID-19 on justice-involved populations, examines how states have prioritized these populations for vaccination, and highlights the significance of Medicaid coverage for this population as well as proposals to expand access to Medicaid coverage.

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…

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.

Standardized Plans in the Health Care Marketplace: Changing Requirements

May 8, 2023

Issue Brief

This brief examines the evolving requirements for insurers on HealthCare.gov to offer standardized plans that follow set cost sharing rules for covered benefits in addition to other plans they might offer. It also reviews how some state-run marketplaces have used standardized plans to limit cost sharing for insulin, mental health care, and other services.

Amid a Mental Health Crisis in the U.S., A New KFF Report Examines the Steps that State Medicaid Programs Are Taking to Help Shore Up the Availability of Crisis Services

May 25, 2023

News Release

As the U.S. tries to address rising rates of mental health issues, the impact of the new 988 national crisis hotline and other innovations will be limited if states don’t have the underlying crisis services available when people are directed to them. The core crisis services include crisis hotlines that connect individuals to trained counselors, mobile crisis units that provide in-person crisis support services, and crisis stabilization units that provide short-term observation and crisis stabilization…

Perspectives on the Epidemic: Women and Teenage Girls at Risk for HIV – Insights from Focus Groups

Oct 2, 2003

Report

This report summarizes findings from a series of focus groups with women and teenage girls at risk for HIV. Focus group participants discuss their views on a range of issues including prevention and testing, women’s knowledge about HIV/AIDS, and the effectiveness of public education messages. Report (.pdf)

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