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This brief describes current state fiscal conditions as states begin fiscal year 2027 budget debates and highlights key areas to watch for Medicaid policy changes as states respond to fiscal challenges and the 2025 reconciliation law.
This issue brief provides an overview of refugees and asylees in the U.S., trends in refugee and asylee admissions using data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and recent changes in eligibility for assistance programs for refugees and asylees.
As states completed the “unwinding” of pandemic-era continuous coverage, Medicaid enrollment fell 7.6% in FY 2025 and is expected to be largely flat in FY 2026. At the same time, total Medicaid spending grew by 8.6% in FY 2025 and is expected to grow by 7.9% in FY 2026.
This report highlights key policy priorities and issues state Medicaid programs focused on in FY 2025 and are prioritizing in FY 2026.
This brief provides an overview of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, including current data on plan availability, enrollment, and spending and financing, and highlights changes made under the Inflation Reduction Act.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores Medicare, a federal health insurance program covering more than 68 million people, established in 1965 for people age 65 or older and later expanded to cover people under age 65 with long-term disabilities. In addition to detailing Medicare eligibility, coverage, and spending, the chapter examines the increased role of private plans in providing benefits and the financing challenges posed by increasing health care costs and an aging population.
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free counseling to help millions of Medicare beneficiaries make decisions about coverage. However, federal funding has been modest over the last decade, and federal administration of the program appears to be in transition.
This policy watch discusses a recent policy change by the Department of Health and Human Services that bars several groups of immigrants from accessing an updated list of "federal public benefits".
The Medicare Part D program provides an outpatient prescription drug benefit to more than 50 million older adults and people with long-term disabilities in Medicare who enroll in private plans, including stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) to supplement traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans (MA-PDs) that include drug coverage and other Medicare-covered benefits. This brief analyzes Medicare Part D enrollment and costs in 2025 and trends over time, based on data from the…
The Trump administration is proposing a reorganization and staffing cuts at HHS that create uncertainty about the potential effects on older adults, who receive services authorized under the Older Americans Act. This brief provides an overview of programs and services provided under the Older Americans Act, the role played by the Administration for Community Living in administering these programs, and trends in program funding and service utilization by older adults.
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