Health Costs

The MIDTERMS

Democrats Hold a Nearly 2-to-1 Advantage Over Republicans on Handling the Cost of Health Care

Poll: Cost of Health Care and Gas Top Voters’ Midterm Concerns; Democrats Hold Significant Advantage on Health Care Costs and Cost of Living 

With the 2026 midterms about a month away, health care costs remain tied with gas as voters’ top midterm concerns and the Democrats hold a clear edge over the Republicans Party on who voters trust to handle many top electoral issues, including the cost of health care and the cost of living. Two-thirds of U.S. adults now favor Medicare-for-all, a new high in KFF Polling, but support shifts when competing claims from critics and proponents are heard.

New and noteworthy

Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs

This data note reviews our recent polling data that finds that many Americans struggle to afford many aspects of health care, including disproportionate shares of uninsured adults, Black and Hispanic adults and those with lower incomes.

Health System Tracker

Is This A Healthcare Economy?

Health care employment has grown faster than other sectors of the economy, with jobs in physician offices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, home health, and other settings increasing over the past year even as the rest of the job market plateaued. 

Cumulative percent change in health sector and non-health sector employment, January 1990 - August 2026

What Are the Recent Trends in Health Sector Employment

Health care employment continues to grow even as hiring across other sectors has plateaued. The health sector added nearly 379,000 jobs over the past year, a 2% increase, compared with just 0.2% growth in other non-farm employment, with outpatient care among the fastest-growing health care settings.

How TrumpRx Brand-Name Drug Prices Compare

TrumpRx prices for brand-name drugs are about as likely to be higher as lower compared to average prices in other wealthy countries, according to an analysis that compares 32 brand-name drugs.

Stay informed.

Stay informed.

Filter

1,431-1,440 of 1,618 results

  • Workers and their Health Plans: Free to Choose?

    Other Post

    This article, which appeared in the Jan/Feb 2002 issue of the journal Health Affairs, examines the availability of health plan choice for employees. After reviewing previous research and providing information on the data set employed, the authors, Tom Rice, Jon Gabel, Larry Levitt and Samantha Hawkins, examine changes in the extent of health plans choice over the past decade and the choices available to workers in 2001. Note: This publication is no longer in circulation.…

  • Medicare Chartbook

    Report

    The Medicare Chartbook includes data and background information critical to understanding the Medicare program and the challenges it faces in keeping up with the rising costs of health care and in ensuring the program s future financial security.

  • Women’s Health Data Book: A Profile of Women’s Health in the United States

    Fact Sheet

    The Women's Health Data Book: A Profile of Women's Health in the United States, offers the latest data and trends on the wide range of health issues that affect women across their life spans. Published by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, the Data Book is edited by Dawn Misra, Ph.D. This book addresses social and economic factors and provides up-to-date information on chronic conditions, reproductive health, mental health, violence,…

  • Trends in Health Plans Serving Medicaid — 2000 Data Update

    Report

    An updated study follows trends in commercial health plan participation in Medicaid managed care and includes new analyses on the performance of Medicaid-dominated and commercial plans on measures of effective care and access to care, and on the extent to which plans restrict their Medicaid service areas.

  • Medicaid and Managed Care

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet provides an overview of the Medicaid program's increasing reliance on managed care to deliver services. Fact Sheet

  • Generation Rx.com: How Young People Use the Internet for Health Information

    Report

    The Internet has become a daily part of life especially for younger Americans. Teens as well as adults are now going online to look for health information. What exactly are young people looking for? Do they trust what they find? Is it influencing what they talk about with their peers, parents, or physicians? Are they worried about privacy? Pornography? Parental controls? A panel featuring Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet & American Life Project; Gretchen Berland,…

  • Prescription Drug Trends:  A Chartbook Update

    Report

    This November 2001 Chartbook updates data from last year's chartbook, including information about prescription drug coverage, expenditures and prices, utilization, drug promotion, and the pharmaceutical industry.

  • Understanding the Effects of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising

    Report

    Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, particularly television advertising, has grown rapidly in the last few years. This nationally representative survey examines how consumers who are shown specific television prescription drug ads respond to such ads: what information they retain, what actions they predict they will take, and their views about this type of advertising. Report

  • The Future of Retiree Health Benefits: Challenges and Options

    Event Date:
    Event

    Tricia Neuman, Vice President and Director of the Medicare Policy Project testified before the House Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations on retiree health coverage for older Americans. The statement describes the health needs of aging adults and the importance of health insurance coverage at a time in their lives when they face increasing health problems. It then reviews insurance challenges facing both early retirees, as well as retirees who are 65 and older, against the backdrop…