The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
KFF’s policy research provides facts and analysis on a wide range of policy issues and public programs.
KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the organization’s core operating programs.
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.
This Policy Watch examines how the 50 states and DC are defining “high-risk medical conditions” for COVID-19 vaccine prioritization, including whether they follow CDC’s recommendations or deviate in some way.
More than 100,000 residents and staff have died in long-term care facilities since the start of the pandemic. This post discusses the implications of the likely rise in cases due to holiday gatherings and the share of total COVID-19 deaths that have happened in long-term care facilities.
State Medicaid and public health agencies both work to advance the health of their communities, often pursuing similar priorities and serving similar populations. This brief examines findings from KFF's 25th annual Medicaid budget survey, which asked state Medicaid directors about new or enhanced initiatives involving public health in FY 2025 or planned for FY 2026.
This issue brief analyzes the latest data on rates of long COVID, which have appeared to stabilize, affecting about 1 in 10 adults who have had COVID.
In his new column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman discusses the pros and cons of labeling socio-economic problems as health issues.
California has long been a leader in tackling climate change. However, as recent events have shown, despite its progressive climate policies, the Golden State is still very vulnerable to the effects of climate change. One key effect of climate change is its impact on health. From degraded air and water quality, to the mental health impact of climate emergencies like wildfires, to health complications from increased heat, to increases in vector-borne diseases like Lyme Disease,…
Thirty-one percent of the public wants to “wait and see” how the COVID-19 vaccine is working for other people before getting vaccinated themselves. While they share a similar level of vaccine hesitancy, this group is not monolithic in their attitudes and beliefs. This brief examines how people with different partisan identities and those belonging to different racial and ethnic groups differ in their levels of concern about the vaccine and may respond differently to messages…
This report summarizes the public’s response to a series of open-ended questions aimed at better understanding people’s concerns around receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and the views of the messages and messengers that could affect their willingness to get one,
The poll examines the public's views on the Supreme Court case to overturn the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Less than a month from the results of the 2020 presidential election, this poll examines the top issues for voters (the economy, the coronavirus pandemic, health care, criminal justice and policing, among others) as well as which candidate, Biden or Trump, they think has the better approach to handle key…
This brief examines key policy challenges and issues related to distributing a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S., including funding, supply and logistics, federal, state, and local authorities, insurance coverage, addressing racial and ethnic disparities, and communication and trust.
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