Are the Tradeoffs from Prior Authorization Worth It?
In his latest column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman asks if prior authorization review could be eliminated entirely, discussing how it might be done and the tradeoffs.
Health System Performance
The Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker is an online hub monitoring how well the U.S. health system is operating through key quality and cost measures. Visit the Tracker →
View the Latest: Health System Performance
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A Generation of Health Care in the United States: Has Value Improved in the Last 25 Years?
Issue BriefUsing data from the Health System Dashboard, a new analysis looks at trends in health spending and outcomes in the United States between 1991 and 2016. While many U.S. health outcomes, like life expectancy and disease burden, have improved, the share of GDP devoted to health increased by 40%, and the U.S. still lags behind other countries in many key measures. The analysis is part of the Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker, an online information hub dedicated to monitoring and…
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The U.S. Has Fewer Physicians and Hospital Beds Per Capita Than Italy and Other Countries Overwhelmed by COVID-19
News ReleaseA new analysis and chart collection finds that the U.S. has fewer hospital beds and practicing physicians per capita than many similarly large and wealthy countries with health care systems already strained by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to Italy and Spain, two countries in which hospitals have already been overwhelmed by an influx of COVID-19 patients, the U.S. has fewer practicing physicians per capita - 2.6 per 1,000 people, compared to 4.0 in Italy…
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Updated Dashboard Features New Data on U.S. Health System Performance
News ReleaseNewly updated and expanded, the Peterson-KFF Health System Dashboard compiles data on the U.S. health system’s performance in four areas: access and affordability, health and well-being, health spending, and quality of care. Users can explore trends over time, as well as disparities and differences across demographic groups.
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Public’s Views of Doctors, Nurses, Insurance Companies, and Drug Companies Survey
Poll FindingThis brief survey examines how the public views the motivations of doctors, nurses, insurance companies, and drug companies when it comes to making profits vs. working for the public good. It updates a question asked in 2005 to measure how views have changed over time. TOPLINE & METHODOLOGY Download
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Rural Hospitals Face Renewed Financial Challenges, Especially in States That Have Not Expanded Medicaid
Issue BriefThis data note examines rural hospitals’ operating margins in recent years. After seeing higher margins early in the pandemic, likely due to government relief funds, rural hospitals now face renewed challenges, especially in states that have not expanded Medicaid.
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The Nation’s Largest For-Profit Health Systems Have Typically Had Operating Margins That Meet or Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels
News ReleaseDespite higher inflation and dwindling COVID-19 relief funding from the federal government, the nation’s largest for-profit health systems so far this year have operating margins that meet or exceed levels in 2019 prior to the pandemic, a new KFF analysis finds. The analysis examines the financial performance of the three largest for-profit systems in the country, HCA Healthcare, Tenet Healthcare Corporation, and Community Health Systems, which collectively account for about 8 percent of all community…
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Fewer Hospital Beds in USA Per Capita Than Countries Already Overwhelmed by Coronavirus
FeatureThe U.S. has 2.8 hospital beds for every 1,000 people, which is similar to bed capacity in Canada and the United Kingdom, but less than other similarly wealthy countries like Italy and Spain, countries that have already been overwhelmed by the coronavirus. Learn more in this Chart of the Week.
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Hospitals and Physicians Represent More Than Half of Total Health Spending
FeatureMore than half of U.S. health spending went toward hospital and physician services in 2018. Learn more about the breakdown of the nation's health spending in the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker.
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Big Questions for the Health Policy Community Emerging From the Coronavirus Crisis
From Drew AltmanWith so many Americans dying, and so many more suffering severe economic hardship, it’s hard to look over the horizon at the larger questions the COVID-19 crisis will bring. The current emergency requires everyone’s attention 24/7. But an emerging set of questions will fall right in the bailiwick of the health policy community. In the shorter term: How many people will lose insurance in the economic crisis? Who are they? How many will gain it back?…