Public Health


Health Policy 101 is a comprehensive guide covering fundamental aspects of U.S. health policy and programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, employer-sponsored insurance, the uninsured population, health care costs and affordability, women's health issues, and health care politics. The Public Health chapter examines how public health is governed and delivered in the United States. It includes explanations of key public health frameworks, services, capabilities and characteristics, how the public health system works in state, local and territorial governments, and public health funding, workforce, and communication challenges in an era of declining trust.

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  • The Red/Blue Divide in COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Continues: An Update

    Policy Watch

    This analysis is an update to a previous analysis conducted in September 2021. Using county-level data, we analyzed trends in COVID-19 vaccination rates in counties that voted for President Trump in the 2020 election compared to counties that voted for President Biden. We find higher vaccination rates for counties that voted for Biden. However, rates among those fully vaccinated that have received a booster are similar between the two groups.

  • The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on LGBT+ People’s Mental Health

    Issue Brief

    The COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted the lives of people across the globe, has negatively impacted LGBT+ people’s mental health in disproportionate ways. In this data note, we pull together data from nationally representative surveys, adding to a small but growing evidence base on the impact of the pandemic on LGBT+ people.

  • Timeline of End Dates for Key Health-Related Flexibilities Provided Through COVID-19 Emergency Declarations, Legislation, and Administrative Actions

    Issue Brief

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government declared numerous types of emergencies, Congress enacted several pieces of legislation, and various executive actions were taken and waivers issued, which established time-limited flexibilities and provisions designed to protect individuals and the health system during the pandemic. This resource provides a timeline identifying key health-related flexibilities and provisions specified by these various measures, the specific measure that determines their end date, and their end date.

  • Most Americans Say Federal and State Governments Are Not Doing Enough to Combat Prescription Painkiller and Heroin Abuse; Large Majorities Believe Wide Range of Strategies Would be Effective

    News Release

     As the White House and Congress continue to debate new funding and other actions to address the nation’s opioid epidemic, the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that most Americans believe the federal government is not doing enough to combat the recent increases in the number of people who are addicted to prescription painkillers (66%)…

  • Monkeypox Vaccine Roll-out in the U.S. – Are Jurisdictions Requesting All Their Doses?

    Policy Watch

    This analysis examines monkeypox vaccine allocations and jurisdictional requests. It explores jurisdictional request rate (the number of vaccine does requested as a share of the jurisdiction’s allocation from HHS) for JYNNEOS, the preferred vaccine. Overall, while most jurisdictions have requested at least their full supply, some are well below that mark, raising questions about how quickly their at-risk populations can get protected.

  • Navigating Recovery: Health Care Financing and Delivery Systems in Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands

    Issue Brief

    This brief identifies key issues and short and long-term options for recovery around the health care financing and delivery systems in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which caused significant physical damage to the territories. It draws on insights from a Nov. 30 roundtable discussion with leaders and experts representing a variety of perspectives on Medicaid policy, health insurance and care delivery systems, and disaster recovery.

  • The Benefit of a Uniform Response to Ebola in the U.S.

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the Christie, Cuomo rift with the federal government over Ebola public health measures and the need for uniform national policies to ease the public’s fears.

  • In Their Own Words: What People are Saying about Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

    News Release

    As the country broadens COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts, the latest research from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor finds that side effects, including allergic reactions and long-term consequences, are the public’s top concern about getting vaccinated when asked to describe what worries them in their own words.