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This Health Policy 101 chapter explores the performance of the U.S. health system on a number of cost, outcomes, and quality measures by comparing it with those in similarly large and wealthy OECD nations. It highlights that despite significant spending, Americans have shorter life expectancies and encounter more barriers to health care, influenced by both the health system's structure and broader socioeconomic factors.
Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waivers offer states an avenue to test new approaches in Medicaid that differ from what is required by federal statute, so long as the approach is likely to “promote the objectives of the Medicaid program.” As with broader Medicaid policy, the future landscape of Section 1115 waivers depends on the outcome of the November 2024 presidential election as a new administration could focus on different priorities, rescind existing guidance, or withdraw already-approved waivers. This waiver watch summarizes five key areas of difference in 1115 waiver policy and waiver approvals under the Trump and Biden-Harris administrations.
This data note provides details on the FY25 request for domestic HIV programs and comparisons to the FY23 enacted level, where possible.
President Biden released his FY 2025 Budget Request on March 11, 2024. Since FY 2024 appropriations have not been finalized yet, comparisons here are made to the FY 2023 enacted level.
Updated: March 25, 2024 On March 23, 2024, the President signed the second package of final FY 2024 appropriations bills, otherwise known as the “Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024,” which was released by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on March 20, 2024, passed by the House on March 22, 2024 and passed by the…
This policy watch analyzes the latest data on Medicare Part D spending on GLP-1 drugs, initially approved to treat diabetes but in high demand as treatments for obesity, and shows how spending on these drugs has increased substantially in recent years.
This issue brief describes recent trends in the number of Medicaid outpatient prescriptions and the spending on those drugs and examines the implications of recent federal actions on future trends.
In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explains why Medicaid, despite former President Donald Trump's silence on the topic, warrants greater attention given the potential for drastic changes or cuts to it should Republicans win control in the election.
A new video slideshow from the Kaiser Family Foundation explains how Medicaid works now and what is at stake as policymakers in Washington consider converting program financing to a block grant or per capita cap.
Congressional debate around the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has recently included a proposal to repeal the ACA, including the provision allowing states to extend Medicaid to childless adults up to 138% FPL and providing enhanced federal funds for the Medicaid expansion. This brief provides estimates of changes in federal Medicaid funds and Medicaid coverage for adults covered through the ACA expansion if the expansion is eliminated starting in 2020. A repeal of the Medicaid expansion would have significant coverage and financing implications for the 31 states and the District of Columbia that have implemented the expansion.
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