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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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  • Americans May Be Smarter About Vaccines Than You Think

    From Drew Altman

    In a new column that analyzes recent KFF polling, Founding President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman concludes that only a sliver of the public hold definitive anti-science, anti-vaccine views, and are greatly outnumbered by the people who believe established science, with even more Americans stuck in a “muddled middle.” He writes, “when you see reports of social media engagement spiking about a health myth, don’t overreact. It’s more likely than not that it's a relatively…

  • 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.

  • The FDA’s Retraction of a Positive Test in the Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Raises Questions About Corrections and Trust

    Quick Insights

    The skepticism surrounding the FDA’s retraction of a positive test tying Taylor Farms lettuce to the cyclosporiasis outbreak comes at a time of broader public distrust in the agency. KFF’s April 2026 Health Tracking Poll found that just over a third (36%) of adults are confident in the FDA to act independently without interference from outside interests, including similarly low shares across partisans.

  • Title 42 and its Impact on Immigration and Migrant Families

    Issue Brief

    This brief provides an explanation of Title 42 and its application in border regions, the impact of Title 42 on border expulsions and the health and well-being of migrants during COVID-19, and a discussion of the potential implications of reinvoking Title 42 restrictions for immigration and the health of migrants.

  • Five Key Facts About People Experiencing Homelessness

    Issue Brief

    This data note reviews trends in homelessness and characteristics of people who are homeless using data from HUD’s Point-in-Time (PIT) count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness.

  • KFF Health Tracking Poll: Ebola & Pandemic Preparedness

    Poll Finding

    Much of the public has yet to form an opinion on the U.S. government’s response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this poll finds. Four in ten adults say the U.S. is less prepared for a pandemic now than it was in 2020.

  • Federal Vaccine Advisory Committees: Roles and Current Issues

    Issue Brief

    This brief describes four key federal vaccine advisory committees and discusses policy issues and questions they currently face. The four committees are the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and the Advisory Commission on Childhood…

  • The White House Takes Another Shot at Changing U.S. Childhood Vaccine Recommendations

    Policy Watch

    Examines the White House’s latest Executive Order seeking to reshape U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations, including a directive to separate MMR vaccines and use a new HHS task force for federal recommendations. It finds that the order is unlikely to have an immediate or sweeping effect on U.S. vaccine policy given courts blocked earlier, similar administration actions, and states are increasingly decoupling their policies from federal recommendations.