Are the Tradeoffs from Prior Authorization Worth It?
In his latest column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman asks if prior authorization review could be eliminated entirely, discussing how it might be done and the tradeoffs.
View the Latest: Chronic Diseases
Filter
-
-
Affordability Is the Issue Now, But Look for the Uninsured to Make a Comeback
From Drew AltmanA new column on the uninsured from President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman explains: “The uninsured is not the most politically salient problem in health care now, that’s affordability, nor is it the non-problem some say it is. But it’s coming back. And the problem of the chronically ill uninsured is glaring.” Read more.
-
How Will the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act Affect Medicare Beneficiaries?
Issue BriefThe brief provides a quick explainer of the prescription drug provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law on August 16, 2022 and presents new estimates on how many Medicare beneficiaries could be helped by those provisions.
-
Medicaid Mental Health and Substance Use: Expansion Trends and the Fiscal Pressure Ahead
Issue BriefThis brief examines recent state trends in Medicaid behavioral health coverage and payment and state coverage of select treatment models for people with serious mental illness—a population that has historically faced significant barriers to care. This includes details about coverage of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) (as a provider type), Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), and Coordinated Specialty Care for First Episode Psychosis (CSC-FEP).
-
How has the Burden of Chronic Diseases in the U.S. and Peer Nations Changed Over Time?
Issue BriefChronic, non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide and make up 8 of the 10 top causes of death in the U.S. Across several chronic diseases, the U.S. has a higher burden of illness than peer nations. The reasons why are complex and include differences in how health care is managed, poverty, diet and exercise, and more. This chart collection compares rates of chronic diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, kidney disease,…
-
What to Know About the BALANCE Model for GLP-1s in Medicare and Medicaid and the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge
Issue BriefThis brief describes current coverage of GLP-1s in Medicare and Medicaid, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) efforts to expand access and lower costs for GLP-1s through temporary demonstration programs including the BALANCE Model, and potential impacts on beneficiaries and program budgets.
-
How Many Teachers Are at Risk of Serious Illness If Infected with Coronavirus?
Issue BriefAs the nation continues to struggle to contain the spread of coronavirus, there is considerable debate about when and how to reopen schools. This analysis finds that one in four teachers (24%, or about 1.47 million people), have a condition that puts them at higher risk of serious illness from coronavirus.
-
About 1.5 Million Teachers are at Higher Risk of Serious Illness From COVID-19
News ReleaseAs local, state and federal official debate when and how to reopen schools across the nation, a new KFF analysis estimates nearly 1.5 million teachers have health conditions that put them at higher risk of serious illness if they were to contract COVID-19. This represents nearly one in four (24%) of all teachers around the country, creating challenges for schools trying to provide in-person classroom education safely for students and teachers alike. While children are…
-
Health Affairs Article: Medicaid Expansion Under Health Reform May Increase Service Use and Improve Access For Low-Income Adults With Diabetes
Issue BriefThis analysis finds that Medicaid’s role in financing diabetes care will grow when many low-income uninsured people with diabetes become eligible for Medicaid as the program expansions under the Affordable Care Act in 2014. Adult Medicaid beneficiaries with diabetes had annual per person health expenditures more than three times higher than adult beneficiaries without the disease -- $14,229 versus $4,568, according to the study. At the same time, many uninsured adults with diabetes are less…
-
The VP Debate May Focus on the “Working Class,” But Will They Discuss Medicaid?
Quick InsightsIf Tuesday’s vice presidential debate turns to Medicaid and work requirements, the policy trade-offs will be about working people’s access to Medicaid coverage – not about increasing work.