Network Adequacy Standards and Enforcement
Health plan networks affect patient access to care. This brief reviews options for setting and enforcing network adequacy standards and tools for making differences in plan networks more transparent.
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Surprise Medical Bills are Ending, But Controversy Continues
PerspectiveIn this column for the JAMA Health Forum, Larry Levitt examines how the No Surprises Act that prohibits unexpected out-of-network charges for patients could lead to lower payment rates and revenues for some doctors and other care providers.
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Before New Ban, the Prevalence of Surprise Bills
FeaturePatients with certain conditions appear to be at higher risk for receiving surprise bills. They should be aware of new federal protections against surprise bills and know how to seek out help if they have improperly received one.
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‘In Focus with KFF’: What to Know About the New Ban on Surprise Bills
VideoIn this new video, KFF Senior Fellow Karen Pollitz explains why surprise bills have been such a major problem for patients, the new federal ban on the practice, and how patients can get help if they received a surprise bill.
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Unvaccinated COVID patients cost the U.S. health system billions of dollars
Issue BriefThis updated analysis for the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker estimates that the preventable costs of treating unvaccinated patients in hospitals total $13.8 billion during the six-month period from June through November when the delta variant led to a surge in admissions.
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Characteristics of Vaccinated Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections
Issue BriefThis brief describes the characteristics of fully vaccinated hospitalized patients who have COVID-19 breakthrough infections, in comparison to people who are not fully vaccinated and hospitalized with COVID-19.
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“Breakthrough” COVID-19 Hospitalizations Among Fully Vaccinated Patients Occur Most Often among Older Adults and Involve People with Chronic Health Conditions
News Release“Breakthrough” hospitalizations involving COVID-19 among people who are fully vaccinated against the disease most often affected older adults and people with other chronic health conditions, finds a new analysis of hospital data from June through September by KFF and Epic Research.
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Health Employment Continues Slow Recovery Since the Beginning of the Pandemic
News ReleaseUnlike past recessions, the health sector saw a big drop in employment in early 2020 similar to other sectors as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of the nation’s economy and remains below expected employment levels through November 2021, a new KFF chart collection shows.
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No Surprises Act Implementation: What to Expect in 2022
Issue BriefThe “No Surprises Act,” which establishes new federal protections against most surprise out-of-network medical bills when a patient receives out-of-network services during an emergency visit or from a provider at an in-network hospital without advance notice, will take effect next month. A new KFF brief outlines what to expect in 2022.
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KHN and Guardian US Win National Press Club Award for “Lost on the Frontline”
News ReleaseKFF’s Kaiser Health News (KHN) and Guardian US have won the National Press Club’s top award for online journalism for their “Lost on the Frontline” investigation. The year-long project documented the lives of more than 3,600 health care workers in the U.S. who died after contracting covid-19 on the job. The Press Club’s Joan M.