How Much More Than Medicare Do Private Insurers Pay? A Review of the Literature
This brief reviews findings from recent studies that compare Medicare and private health insurance payment rates for both hospital and physician services.
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How Much Could Medicare Beneficiaries Pay For a Hospital Stay Related to COVID-19?
Issue BriefAs the coronavirus continues to spread, the number of people on Medicare admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 related illness is expected to rise. We analyze how much Medicare beneficiaries could pay out-of-pocket for an inpatient hospital admission under traditional Medicare (assuming no supplemental coverage) or Medicare Advantage plans.
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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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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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Analysis Estimates Up To 2 Million Uninsured People Could Require COVID-19 Hospitalization
News ReleasePatients Could Still Be on the Hook for Outpatient Costs, Costs If They Test Negative, and Cost Sharing A new KFF analysis estimates that between 670,000 and 2 million uninsured people around the country eventually could be hospitalized with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Reimbursing hospitals for those treatments could cost between $13.9 billion and $41.8 billion. Trump administration has indicated that it plans to reimburse hospitals for the care of…
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Data Note: Public Worries About And Experience With Surprise Medical Bills
FeatureThis data note captures February 2020 poll findings on the public's worries about and experiences with unexpected and surprise medical bills.
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A Comprehensive Review of Research Finds That the ACA Medicaid Expansion Has Reduced the Uninsured Rate and Uncompensated Care Costs in Expansion States, While Increasing Affordability and Access to Care and Producing State Budget Savings
News ReleaseMultiple studies over the last five years find that the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion has increased health coverage, affordability, and access to care while producing budget savings for states and reductions in uncompensated care costs for hospitals and clinics, according to a KFF review of more than 300 studies and policy reports. Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia have adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion. The literature review provides a useful reference on…
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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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Analysis Examines the Implications of Price Transparency for Providers and Patients as New Rules Go into Effect
News ReleaseA new KFF analysis examines how new federal rules on price transparency for health services may affect patient decision-making and market pricing. As of January 1, 2021, the United States Department of Health and Human Services requires that hospitals publish payer-negotiated rates for common services on their websites. A second set of rules, which requires insurers to provide rate and cost-sharing estimates for common services, is scheduled to go into effect in 2023. While the…
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Most private insurers are no longer waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment
Issue BriefThis analysis finds nearly three quarters of the largest health plans in each state are no longer waiving enrollees’ cost-sharing requirements for COVID-19 treatment as of August 2021. Insurers largely waived those costs early in the pandemic, before safe and effetive vaccines were available.