Cost Sharing - Research and Data from KFF

The AI Arms Race in Administrative Health Care

Jul 14, 2026

Podcast

Caroline Pearson, executive director of the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) and the Peterson Center on Healthcare, joins Chip to discuss who really benefits as AI moves into health care's back office. A quiet arms race is underway — providers deploying AI to code, bill, and capture revenue and insurers deploying it right back to review, deny, and hold the line. The open question is whether any of this lowers what the country actually spends…

Promotional image for KFF video Health Care Unaffordability at the Macro Level

Health Care Costs Keep Rising … Why and Who Pays?

Jul 9, 2026

Video

The U.S. spends more on health care than other large, wealthy countries. Concerns about rising costs aren't new, yet somehow we keep paying the bill. In this video, KFF’s Larry Levitt explains how we got here, who bears the consequences and why reining in spending systematically may be central to the next big health care debate.

Nearly Four Million Medicare Beneficiaries Met the Eligibility Criteria in 2023 for the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge

Jun 29, 2026

Issue Brief

Medicare has launched a temporary program covering GLP-1s for obesity for people with Medicare, known as the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge. This analysis estimates the number of Medicare Part D enrollees who could potentially qualify for the Bridge program by meeting all of the eligibility criteria, based on claims data from 2023.

Key Facts About Medicare Spending Trends and Projections from the 2026 Medicare Trustees Report

Jun 24, 2026

Issue Brief

This brief provides an overview of key trends in Medicare spending and spending growth, as well as the impact of these trends on out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries and Medicare program solvency, as projected by the Medicare Trustees in the 2026 Trustees Report.

Medicare Part D Enrollment, Premiums, and Cost Sharing in 2026

Jun 11, 2026

Issue Brief

The Medicare Part D program provides an outpatient prescription drug benefit to 56 million older adults and people with long-term disabilities in Medicare who enroll in private plans. This brief analyzes Medicare Part D enrollment, premiums, and cost sharing in 2026 and trends over time, based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Medicare Advantage in 2026: Premiums, Out-of-Pocket Limits, Supplemental Benefits, and Prior Authorization

Jun 5, 2026

Issue Brief

This brief provides information about Medicare Advantage plans in 2026, including premiums, out-of-pocket limits, supplemental benefits, and prior authorization, as well as trends over time.

A Closer Look at North Carolina’s Implementation of the 2025 Reconciliation Law Medicaid Provisions and Other Changes Amid Medicaid Budget Shortfalls

May 29, 2026

Policy Watch

This policy watch provides initial insight into how North Carolina is preparing to implement certain Medicaid provisions of the 2025 reconciliation law and how other policy changes may affect coverage and access to care.

Understanding Medicaid Cost Sharing and Policy Changes from the 2025 Reconciliation Law

May 21, 2026

Issue Brief

This brief explains current Medicaid cost sharing rules and changes made to cost sharing rules by the 2025 reconciliation law, reports on cost sharing amounts states currently impose on ACA expansion adults, and highlights literature on the impact of cost sharing.

The Average Marketplace Deductible Grew by About $1,000 Per Person in 2026, With More Enrollees Shifting to Higher-Deductible Plans as Enhanced Tax Credits Expired

May 19, 2026

News Release

The average Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace deductible experienced the steepest increase in history—growing by 37% or over $1,000, from $2,759 in 2025 to $3,786 in 2026 as enhanced premium tax credits expired, according to a new KFF analysis. After the enhanced tax credits ended, many Marketplace shoppers shifted toward lower-premium, higher-deductible plans.

What We Know So Far About 2026 ACA Marketplace Enrollment, Premiums, and Deductibles

May 19, 2026

Issue Brief

This analysis examines early indicators of how the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits has affected effectuated enrollment levels (i.e., enrollment among people who have paid their premiums), plan selections, and out-of-pocket costs in 2026, drawing on plan selection and effectuated enrollment data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and state-based Marketplace (SBM) Open Enrollment reports, as well as KFF survey data and individual market enrollment estimates from Wakely Consulting Group.

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