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.
Our latest Vaccine Monitor survey finds that half of the public has heard either “a lot” or “some” about the newly-available bivalent COVID-19 boosters, and a third (32%) say they’ve already gotten it or intend to do so “as soon as possible.” It also updates parents’ vaccine intentions for their children, including those under 5.
This brief provides new data from the 2020 KFF Women's Health Survey on how workplace benefits and caring for children’s health care needs differ by gender and among different subpopulations of women.
This report examines the views and experiences of people in rural, urban and suburban areas related to the pandemic, and finds they hold very different views of the COVID-19 vaccines, particularly when it comes to children.
This piece provides an analysis of COVID-19 vaccination rates among 5-11 year-old children across the states. Overall, we find wide variation in share of children who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine across the states.
The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented health and education challenges for children with disabilities, many of whom receive special education services. Many children receiving special education services have substantial health care needs, and services available through a child’s health insurance plan, such as Medicaid, can complement special education services. This brief explains how Medicaid and special education services intersect, explores the pandemic’s implications for children receiving special education services, and identifies key issues to watch moving…
Increasing availability of high-quality comprehensive data disaggregated by race/ethnicity is a prerequisite for efforts to advance health equity, not only related to COVID-19 but in health and health care more broadly.
As of December 5, 16.7% of 5-11 year-olds had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose with 4.3% of children reaching full vaccination, according to a new KFF analysis. After a short period of high demand, the rate of new vaccinations slowed significantly leading into the Thanksgiving holiday and has continued at the slower pace since. Vaccination efforts around the country continue to differ, with more than a 40 percentage point difference between the top…
Exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems. The effects of lead on the nervous system can cause lower IQ, decreased ability to pay attention, and under performance in school.
This report tracks parents' vaccine COVID-19 vaccine intentions for their children and finds that nearly half of parents of 12-17 year olds say their child has already gotten the COVID-19 vaccine. This report also examines parents' views on school policies and precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19 and keep children safe.
Medicaid is the nation’s main public health insurance program for people with low incomes, and it is the single largest source of health coverage in the U.S., covering nearly 70 million Americans. Medicaid also finances 16% of total personal health spending in the nation. States design and administer their own Medicaid programs within federal requirements, and states and the federal government finance the program jointly. As a major payer, Medicaid is a core source of…
© 2026 KFF