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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.
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Millions of people at school and at home could be at heightened risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 if they become infected from kids returning to school in person. 3.3 million seniors live with school-age children and 1.5 million teachers are at risk due to their age or underlying health conditions. Learn more in this Chart of the Week.
This analysis examines the extent of state-level variation in the share of COVID-19 deaths accounted for by older adults, using data from the CDC as of July 22, 2020, for the week ending July 11, 2020.
A new KFF analysis finds that 80 percent of people who have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. to date were age 65 or older, though the share varies considerably by state -- from a high of 94 percent in Idaho to a low of 70 percent in the District of Columbia. The analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides clear evidence of the toll that the novel coronavirus has…
This data note provides a snapshot of Medicare beneficiaries who died in 2014 and their Medicare spending at the end of life. It examines Medicare per capita spending trends over time since 2000 and in 2014, both overall and by type of service, for beneficiaries in traditional Medicare who died in a given year compared to those who survived the year.
This issue brief provides an overview of the 2017 Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plan marketplace, based on analysis of data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The brief focuses on data for 2017 and changes over time in plan availability, premiums, benefit design, cost sharing, and low-income subsidy plan availability.
Since 1973, the program has also provided coverage to millions of people with permanent disabilities who are younger than age 65. This data note compares average per capita Medicare spending and service use for beneficiaries under age 65 to spending among those over age 65.
This issue brief provides insights about initial implementation of the financial alignment demonstrations from the perspective of dual eligible beneficiaries in Massachusetts, Ohio, and Virginia, based on 12 individual interviews conducted in early 2015. Profiles of six beneficiaries are presented to illustrate representative program experiences, along with key findings from across all of the interviews.
President Trump and other GOP leaders have called for far-reaching changes to Medicaid, including caps and reductions in federal funding for the program. This snapshot provides data on the role Medicaid plays for different population groups as well as perspectives from individuals with coverage through the program. Medicaid, the nation’s public health insurance program for low-income children, adults, seniors, and people with disabilities, covers 1 in 5 Americans, including many with complex and costly needs…
In partnership with The Economist, the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a cross-country survey of adults in the United States, Japan, Italy, and Brazil about people’s views and experiences related to aging and end-of-life medical care. This report gives an overview of the U.S. survey results, including ratings of the health care system, personal preferences, conversations and planning related to end-of-life wishes, and experiences with loved ones’ death.
Half of Americans -- including nearly six in ten of those in fair or poor health – say people in the U.S. have too little control over their end-of-life medical decisions, finds a new Kaiser Family Foundation/Economist survey examining views and experiences with end-of-life care in the U.S. and three other nations. The cross-country survey and related journalism in The Economist’s April 29 issue highlight Americans’ experiences and opinions about aging and end-of-life care and…
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