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Disparities in health and health care for people of color and underserved groups are longstanding challenges. This brief provides an introduction to what health and health care disparities are, why it is important to address disparities, the status of disparities today, recent federal actions to address disparities, and key issues related to addressing disparities looking ahead.
This analysis examines the income, savings, and home equity of Medicare beneficiaries in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic. We look at the overall population, and variations by age, gender and race/ethnicity.
Nearly half (45%) of adults across the country say that worry and stress related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are hurting their mental health, an early sign that the health and economic crises is likely to increase mental health problems and further stretch the system’s capacity.
On September 21, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule that is intended to help low-income Medicare beneficiaries gain access to Medicaid coverage of Medicare premiums and often, cost sharing, through the Medicare Savings Programs.
In this column for the JAMA Health Forum, Larry Levitt explores why the Medicaid "coverage gap" still exists in 12 states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act, why it matters, and why eliminating it could prove challenging.
A new issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation reviews what the research shows about the effects of premiums and cost sharing on low-income populations in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), drawing upon 65 peer-reviewed studies and government and research and policy organization reports and studies published between 2000 and March 2017.
This brief reviews research from 65 papers published between 2000 and March 2017 on the effects of premiums and cost sharing on low-income populations in Medicaid and CHIP. This research has primarily focused on how premiums and cost sharing affect coverage and access to and use of care; some studies also have examined effects on safety net providers and state savings.
The Medicaid program, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 30, 1965, will reach its 50th anniversary this year, a historic milestone. This report reflects on Medicaid’s accomplishments and challenges and considers the issues on the horizon that will influence the course of this major health coverage and financing program moving forward.
This issue brief examines the role that the Ryan White Program has played in helping HIV positive clients purchase insurance coverage from both a historical and an Affordable Care Act (ACA) era perspective. The ACA era analysis focuses on activities in five states during the first open enrollment period and looks specifically at insurance purchasing through the health insurance marketplaces. The states analyzed are California, Florida, Georgia, New York, and Texas.
While Medicaid did not receive a lot of attention during the campaign, if cuts to Social Security and Medicare are largely off the table, Medicaid is the likely source of funding to extend expiring tax cuts.
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