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.
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.
While codifying most-favored-nation drug pricing could be helpful for bringing more transparency to these arrangements and guaranteeing that drug companies will deliver on what they’ve promised, policymakers would need substantially more information to turn these backroom voluntary deals into law.
CMS’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.
This brief presents key facts and analysis about affordability of health care costs among people with Medicare, including younger adults with long-term disabilities, drawing on data from various sources.
The Kaiser Family Foundation has produced three documentaries to mark the 40th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid. The documentaries examine the social needs that led policymakers to create these programs, the expectations of what they would achieve and the reality of these programs today. Key policymakers, staff officials and members of Congress involved in the creation and implementation of Medicare and Medicaid are interviewed. Extensive use of historic video helps tell the story of these…
KFF's 2024 Women's Health Survey finds that women aren't fully aware that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance plans to cover the full cost of recommended preventive health care services - especially contraception.
As Washington continues to search for long-term solutions to reduce federal spending, with Medicare often at the forefront of these discussions, the Kaiser Family Foundation held a policy briefing Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 9:30 a.m. to explore options that could be considered to reduce Medicare spending, and their implications for beneficiaries. Kaiser Family Foundation CEO Drew Altman provided opening remarks. The briefing featured a panel discussion with three former Medicare administrators –Mark McClellan of the…
About half of adults are interested in taking prescription weight loss drugs. though interest drops when presented with obstacles or drawbacks. Many adults struggle with affording prescription drugs and say there should be more price regulation. Few are aware of provisions in the 2023 Inflation Reduction Act aimed at lowering the drug price for Medicare beneficiaries
On Wednesday, April 1, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Alliance for Health Reform presented a briefing to explore the trends in health care costs in both the public and private sectors.
With Medicare and Medicaid turning 50 this year, this updated video provides a brief history of both programs, including: an examination of the health care, social and political landscape that gave rise to them, the significant ways each program has evolved over five decades, and the important roles they play in the U.S. health care system. The video includes archival footage, as well as commentary and perspective from policymakers, government officials and experts.
Following the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) third open enrollment period, a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey of people who buy their own health insurance finds most marketplace enrollees give their coverage good marks, though concerns about premiums, deductibles, and other costs have risen since 2014. The survey, the third in a series, finds about two thirds (68%) of marketplace customers rate their current coverage as either “excellent” or “good.” Although concerns about narrow network plans…
© 2026 KFF