View the Latest: Chronic Diseases
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The VP Debate May Focus on the “Working Class,” But Will They Discuss Medicaid?
Quick TakeIf 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.
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An Estimated 1 in 4 Medicare Beneficiaries With Obesity or Overweight Could Be Eligible for Medicare Coverage of Wegovy, an Anti-Obesity Drug, to Reduce Heart Risk
News ReleaseIn a new analysis, KFF finds that 3.6 million people with Medicare could be eligible for coverage of Wegovy (semaglutide) now that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the anti-obesity drug to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke in certain patients.
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A New Use for Wegovy Opens the Door to Medicare Coverage for Millions of People with Obesity
Issue BriefThe FDA recently approved a new use for Wegovy, the blockbuster anti-obesity drug, to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke in people with cardiovascular disease who are overweight or obese - a decision that opens the door to Medicare coverage of Wegovy, which is prohibited by law from covering drugs used for obesity. This brief analyses how many Medicare beneficiaries could be eligible for the new use of Wegovy and the potential impact on Medicare spending.
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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.
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How Would the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Senate Reconciliation Proposal Affect Medicare Beneficiaries?
Issue BriefThe brief provides a quick explainer of the prescription drug provisions in legislative text released by the Senate Finance Committee to be included in a forthcoming reconciliation bill and presents new estimates on how many Medicare beneficiaries could be helped by those provisions.
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FDA’s Approval of Biogen’s New Alzheimer’s Drug Has Huge Cost Implications for Medicare and Beneficiaries
Issue BriefThe question of what would happen when a new, expensive prescription drug comes to market for a disease like Alzheimer’s that afflicts millions of people has loomed large in discussions over drug prices in the U.S. This brief analyzes the cost implications for Medicare and beneficiaries associated with Biogen's new FDA-approved Alzheimer's drug, which will cost $56,000 per year.
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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.
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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.
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New Analysis Compares Prescription Drug Spending and Use Across Large Employer Plans, Medicare, and Medicaid
News ReleaseAs policymakers debate how to address the high cost of prescription drugs, a new KFF analysis compares data on prescription drug spending and use across large employer plans, Medicare Part D and Medicaid, and provides context for policy discussions about different approaches to curb rising drug costs that would affect people covered by each of…