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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.
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State Health Facts is a KFF project that provides free, up-to-date, and easy-to-use health data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States. It offers data on specific types of health insurance coverage, including employer-sponsored, Medicaid, Medicare, as well as people who are uninsured by demographic characteristics, including age, race/ethnicity, work status, gender, and income. There are also data on health insurance status for a state's population overall and broken down by age, gender, and income.
This fact sheet summarizes the reasons why low-wage workers are less likely to have employer-sponsored health insurance than workers with higher incomes and therefore, are more likely to be uninsured. Fact Sheet
The Uninsured and Their Access to Health Care Drawing on data from the updated Uninsured in America: A Chart Book (May 2000), this fact sheet outlines the problem of the uninsured in America, providing data on the growing number of uninsured Americans and a profile of the uninsured population. It also explores causes of uninsurance and synthesizes studies on the effects of going without health coverage. Fact Sheet
This report reviews how states have responded to the $500 million federal fund that was created by the federal welfare reform legislation in 1996 to help states maintain Medicaid coverage for individuals affected by welfare reform. State Medicaid officials were asked whether they have drawn down federal funds from the $500 million fund; to describe the factors that influenced their decision; and what activities they are supporting with the additional federal monies. The paper describes…
A new report details how the practice of express lane eligibility, or utilizing information from other public benefit programs, can quicken the enrollment of low-income children into the Medicaid and CHIP programs. REPORT Download
Summarizes the coverage of outpatient prescription drugs by Medicaid. Many low-income seniors and other Medicaid recipients rely on this benefit as their only means of drug coverage. Information on the drug rebate program and utilization management procedures is included, as well as data on who uses the benefit, how much is spent per enrollee, and what the data says about future trends. Fact Sheet : An Overview
This article, authored by Diane Rowland, Alina Salganicoff, and Patricia Keenan of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, assesses Medicaid's contributions as a public financing program for health insurance coverage for the poor over the last three decades. It reviews Medicaid's impact on the low-income population and discusses the limitations of the program as a strategy for improving the health of low-income groups. While gaps in coverage and limitations in access persist between…
An analysis of the National Governors Association proposal to restructure Medicaid, including the financial impact of the core of the proposal. The report considers possible responses to the reforms and outlines some issues to consider as policymakers think about reforming the program.
Women comprise a growing share of new cases of AIDS in the United States. In 1986, women only represented 7% of new cases of AIDS. By 1999 that share had risen to nearly one quarter. Not only do women represent an increasing share of persons with AIDS, today they represent 30 percent of new HIV infections. Women of color, particularly African Americans, have been hardest hit among women. This report provides an overview of the…
A new Commission report of state experiences after eliminating the Medicaid asset test reveals that the action cut administrative costs, improved program efficiency, and increased access to health care.
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