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  • Considerations for Covering Over-the-Counter Contraception

    Policy Watch

    In October 2023, the Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services issued a request for information to gather public input about the potential benefits, costs, and implementation considerations of requiring private health insurance plans to cover OTC preventive services and supplies without a prescription. This policy watch addresses key considerations for the implementation of insurance coverage for non-prescribed OTC contraceptives based on the lessons learned from KFF’s 2023 study of Insurance Coverage…

  • Health Insurance Market Reforms: Guaranteed Issue

    Fact Sheet

    Guaranteed issue laws require insurance companies to issue a health plan to any applicant - an individual or a group - regardless of the applicant's health status or other factors. Currently, in most states, insurance companies can deny nongroup coverage to people based on their health status or their medical expenses over the past year. This means that an uninsured person who develops a certain condition, such as breast cancer, might not be able to…

  • Competition Has Increased in the Individual Market in Recent Years but Fallen in Fully Insured Group Markets

    Recent Trends in Commercial Health Insurance Market Concentration

    Issue Brief

    Commercial health insurance markets remain highly concentrated across coverage types. However, the individual market, which consists mostly of the ACA Marketplaces, has attracted more insurers and witnessed greater insurer competition across a variety of measures since the implementation of the enhanced premium tax credits in 2021, according to a new Healthy System Tracker analysis.

  • 2026 Medical Loss Ratio Rebates

    Issue Brief

    Insurers estimate they will pay $759.2 million in Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rebates in 2026 to select individuals and employers that purchase their health coverage, according to a KFF analysis of preliminary data reported to state regulators. The estimated rebate for 2024 is less than rebates issued in most prior years.