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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.
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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 video features five older women who reside in an assisted living community in Washington, DC, as they share their experiences in the Medicare program and offer their insights on ways the program could be improved to better meet the health care needs of seniors. Please note: the video is no longer available. If you have an urgent need for the video, you may contact us (choose “problem with video” on the form) and we…
A new policy brief examines the role of Medicaid in state budgets, the reasons behind rising growth in the program, and explores strategies for states to cope with higher spending in tough economic times. Policy Brief Also see recent publications on maintaining health coverage and securing Medicaid in today's economy
2001 Retiree Health and Prescription Drug Coverage Survey This survey, released by the Kaiser Family Foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, and HRET, profiles retiree health coverage for Medicare-age (65+) retirees, including the amount retirees pay for coverage compared to active workers, cost-sharing for prescription drugs, and eligibility requirements for retiree benefits. The survey is based on the annual KFF/HRET Employer Health Benefits Survey News Release: New Survey Shows Retiree Health Benefits Continue to Decline Chart Pack
This paper examines Medicaid enrollment and its relation to the rise and fall of enrollment in Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) programs. Issue Paper Issue Paper
Medicare Beneficiaries: A Population at RiskFindings from the Kaiser/Commonwealth Fund 1997 Survey of Medicare Beneficiaries Tables for Medicare Beneficiaries: A Population at RiskPart 1 Cathy Schoen, Patricia Neuman, Michelle Kitchman, Karen Davis, and Diane Rowland List of Tables Table 1 Medicare Beneficiary Demographics, by Poverty Status Table 2 Medicare Beneficiary Demographics, by Age Group Table 3 Medicare Beneficiary Demographics, by Supplemental Insurance Type Table 4 Medicare Beneficiary Demographics, by Gender Table 1Medicare Beneficiary Demographics, by…
To give voice to people whose lives have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing floods, The Washington Post, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a unique survey of evacuees in shelters in the Houston area. The provides information on evacuees' lives before the hurricane and inside Houston area shelters, as well as their plans for the future. The survey also includes a number of health-related questions, including…
There is one poll number that may be more important to watch than any other if we have a big debate about health reform: The percentage of Americans who think that they or their families would be better off if the president and the Congress enacted major health reform legislation. It's a number that signals whether people think that health reform legislation will actually help them with the problems they are having in the current…
This issue brief examines the broad implications of converting Medicaid to block grant financing, one of several ideas that have been put forth to help reduce the federal deficit. The paper, which does not analyze any specific proposal, notes that switching to block grant financing would fundamentally alter the Medicaid program and could have significant implications for states, localities, beneficiaries and health care providers. Issue Brief (.pdf) Related Resources: Prior Analyses of Block Grant Proposals…
Impact of Potential Changes to ERISA: Litigation and Appeal Experience of CalPERS, Other Large Public Employers and a Large California Health Plan June 1998 By Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P.Sandra Hunt, M.P.A.John Saari, M.A.A.A.Kelly Traw, J.D. Background The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) currently preempts state law related to the wrongful denial or delay of health benefits to the extent that such laws relate to a health benefit plan sponsored by a private employer. This…
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