Affordability


A promotional image for the the KFF Health Policy 101 Health Care Costs and Affordability chapter

Health Policy 101 is a comprehensive guide covering fundamental aspects of U.S. health policy and programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, employer-sponsored insurance, the uninsured population, health care costs and affordability, women's health issues, and health care politics. The Health Care Costs and Affordability chapter explores trends in health care costs in the U.S. and the factors that contribute to this spending. It also examines how health care spending varies across the population, the impact of costs on care affordability and individuals' overall financial vulnerability.

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  • There Are Many MAHAs

    From Drew Altman

    In a new column, Dr. Drew Altman, Founding President and CEO, dissects the MAHA “movement.” He writes: “There appear to be many MAHAs, not one. You can care about pesticides, or food additives, or vaccines, or child health, or corporate influence, or all of the above, to varying degrees. The reason so many Americans say they support MAHA when asked in polls is that, like a restaurant with a large menu, there is something in…

  • How Unaffordable is Health Care? 

    Video

    Health care affordability is a top issue for many people. Why and how did care get so expensive? In this three-part video series, KFF experts look at the rising cost of health care in the U.S. from the macro level to the issues facing everyday Americans. Drawing on KFF policy analysis and polling, the videos examine the underlying drivers of health care spending, the true cost of employer sponsored health insurance and whether the Affordable…

  • Tax Subsidies for Private Health Insurance

    Issue Brief

    This brief describes the different forms of tax assistance for private health insurance, including subsidies offered through the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces and benefits for people who are self-employed or who have employer-based coverage. The brief also provides examples of how the subsidies work and how the amounts may differ by income and type of coverage.

  • New Analysis of Large Employer Health Coverage: The Cost to Families for Health Coverage and Care Has Risen More Than 2X Faster Than Wages and 3X Faster Than Inflation Over the Last Decade 

    News Release

    A new KFF analysis that looked at both premiums and other out-of-pocket costs shows that families with coverage through a large employer paid 67 percent more for their health benefits and care in 2018 than a decade earlier. In 2018, a typical family of four with large employer coverage spent $4,706 on their share of health premiums and $3,020 on cost sharing (such as deductibles, copayments and coinsurance) for a combined cost to the family…

  • How Much Is Enough? Out-of-Pocket Spending Among Medicare Beneficiaries: A Chartbook

    Report

    This new analysis and chartbook examines out-of-pocket spending among Medicare beneficiaries, including spending on health and long-term care services and insurance premiums, using the most current year of data available from a nationally representative survey of people on Medicare. It explores which types of services account for a relatively large share of out-of-pocket spending, which groups of beneficiaries (including by age, gender, health status, and chronic conditions) are especially hard hit by high out-of-pocket costs,…

  • New Analysis Highlights Variations and Trends in Medicare Beneficiaries’ Out-of-Pocket Spending

    News Release

    A new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis and chartbook break down what beneficiaries with traditional Medicare pay for their health care, including insurance premiums, and costs for medical and long-term care services. The analysis highlights the significant variations in what people pay based on the services they use, and their age, gender and other characteristics, and highlights trends in out-of-pocket spending. Based on the latest available data from a nationally representative survey of people on Medicare,…

  • Many Women Use Preventive Services, but Gaps in Awareness of Insurance Coverage Requirements Persist: Findings from the 2022 KFF Women’s Health Survey

    Issue Brief

    This brief presents findings from the 2022 KFF Women’s Health Survey on women’s receipt of cancer screenings and other preventive services and differences between subgroups of women. We also present data on women’s and men’s awareness of federal requirements for private insurance coverage of preventive services.

  • Most Women are in Favor of Making Birth Control Pills Available Over the Counter without a Prescription if Research Shows they are Safe and Effective

    News Release

    A new KFF survey finds that more than three-quarters (77%) of females ages 18-49 favor making birth control pills available without a doctor’s prescription if research shows they are safe and effective. Among those who favor making birth control pills available over the counter and who currently use prescription oral contraception, 60% say they would be likely to use over-the-counter birth control pills. Most say the main reason is convenience (59%). Many females who would…

  • Large Shares of Women Report Needing Mental Health Services but Many Don’t Get Them

    News Release

    An analysis of 2022 KFF Women’s Health Survey (WHS) data finds that although large shares of women report needing mental health services over the past two years, a significant percentage did not access services they felt they needed. Fifty percent of women ages 18-64 say they needed mental health services in the past two years (including 64% of women ages 18-25), but only half of these women obtained an appointment, which may suggest unmet mental…