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.
Fielded from March 11-15, this KFF Coronavirus poll provides a snapshot of the public’s experience, knowledge and views about the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, during the rapidly unfolding crisis. A majority of Americans say they are taking precautions to protect themselves by the novel coronavirus pandemic but the public worries about the health and economic consequences as the situation evolves in the coming months.
The October Kaiser Health Tracking Poll found that majorities of the public said that if a case of Ebola were diagnosed in their area, they would have a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence in state, local, and federal health authorities to contain the disease and prevent it from spreading. Given the evolving news story, we re-surveyed the public from October 17-19 to determine whether confidence in health authorities to prevent the spread of Ebola has changed in light of more recent developments.
With the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and individual cases in the U.S. and Europe making international headlines, the latest Kaiser Health Policy News Index examines Americans’ attention to the Ebola crisis, awareness of key facts about the disease, and views of the U.S. role in addressing Ebola in Africa and at home.
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.
There were gains in coverage across most racial and ethnic groups between 2019 and 2023 after several years of rising uninsured rates during the first Trump administration. The coverage gains between 2019 and 2023 were largely driven by increases in Medicaid coverage, reflecting policies to stabilize and expand access to affordable coverage that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This analysis examines the reported experiences among self-identified LGBT individuals based two months of KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor reports and finds that LGBT people have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic differently than non-LGBT people, including being harder hit in some areas.
This policy watch piece highlights the potential challenges surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations among Hispanic people, whose health and finances have been extremely hard hit by the pandemic. Low rates of vaccination among Hispanic people would leave them at increased risk for the virus, could further widen existing health disparities, and would leave gaps that hinder our ability to achieve overall population immunity.
This brief summarizes key findings and themes from the COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor project that is tracking the dynamic nature of the U.S. public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccination, and is based on more than 11,000 interviews conducted since December 2020.
This volume examines how the cancellation of contracts to develop a bird flu vaccine and unfounded claims by new vaccine advisors reflect persistent myths about the safety of mRNA technology. It also explores false claims linking COVID-19 vaccines to miscarriage and analyzes how reactions to a Supreme Court ruling on gender-affirming care for minors highlights misconceptions and inflammatory language.
This edition focuses on intentionally false or misleading information online and its potential impact on public trust in health care. We share a recent report that exposed a covert U.S. military social media disinformation campaign in the Philippines that may have undermined public confidence in vaccines. We also examine how false claims about sunscreen and non-FDA-approved "miracle cures" may be discouraging people from taking important preventative measures and seeking legitimate medical treatment. Finally, we explore the rise of counterfeit diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and the potential impact on trust in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
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