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KFF Health Tracking Poll: MAHA and the Midterms

Chemical food additive and pesticide concerns associated with the Make America Health Again (MAHA) movement are shared broadly across the public. But when it comes to voters, health care costs are a higher priority and bigger motivator, even among MAHA supporters, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. When asked to identify their most important health priority for government to address, far more MAHA-supporting voters identify lowering the cost of health care (42%) than other issues more closely associated with the movement.

Affordable care act

ACA Marketplace Survey Feature Image - Website

Cost Concerns and Coverage Changes: A Follow-Up Survey of ACA Marketplace Enrollees

This KFF survey is a follow-up survey of adults who had ACA Marketplace insurance in 2025. The survey examines the cost concerns and coverage changes of Marketplace enrollees following the end of the enhanced premium tax credits and finds that half of returning enrollees say their health care costs are “a lot higher” and most expect to cut back on basic household expenses to afford coverage.

Health System Tracker

What Are the Recent Trends in Employer-Based Health Coverage? Employer-sponsored health insurance is the largest source of health coverage for people under 65, but its reach is uneven.

How Does U.S. Life Expectancy Compare to Other Countries? The life expectancy gap between the U.S. and peer countries decreased from 4.1 years in 2023 to 3.7 years in 2024 as U.S. mortality dropped.

How Does Cost Affect Access to Health Care? In 2024, about 1 in 6 adults reported delaying or not getting healthcare due to cost, including medical or mental health care.

How Does Health Spending in the U.S. Compare to Other Countries? While the U.S. still spends the most in total dollars, eight OECD nations had a higher percentage increase in per-person health spending in 2024.

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  • The Alphabet Soup of Care Delivery Transformation

    Event Date:
    Event

    Both the private and public sectors are testing various care delivery transformation models to improve quality, reduce morbidity and mortality, and contain the costs of treatment. The Alliance for Health Reform and WellPoint, Inc. hosted a September 10 briefing to discuss delivery system innovations, Medicare care coordination, and low-spending health care practices. For more information, please visit the Alliance's event page. Full version: Video   Speakers for this session: Ed Howard of the Alliance and…

  • Snapshots: Employer Health Insurance Costs and Worker Compensation

    Issue Brief

    Health insurance premiums have increased rapidly over the recent past, growing a cumulative 138% between 1999 and 2010 and outpacing cumulative wage growth of 42% over the same period.1  These figures, which have been widely cited to demonstrate the growing burden of health insurance costs on employers and employees, illustrate overall trends in health benefit costs, but they do not show how this growing burden is affecting employers and employees in different settings.  To address…

  • Many Medicare Beneficiaries Face High Out-of-Pocket Costs for Dental and Hearing Care, Whether in Traditional Medicare or Medicare Advantage

    News Release

    Many Medicare beneficiaries face high annual out-of-pocket costs for dental and hearing care -- services that generally aren’t covered in traditional Medicare, but typically are covered by Medicare Advantage plans though the scope and value of these benefits vary, finds a new KFF analysis. The analysis shows that, among beneficiaries who used each type of service, average annual out-of-pocket spending was $914 for hearing care and $874 for dental care in 2018, but considerably less…

  • How Marketplace Costs and Premiums will Change if Rescue Plan Subsidies Expire

    Policy Watch

    In this Policy Watch we explore the potential impact of the expiration of the American Rescue Plan Act’s enhanced financial help and new eligibility for the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance Marketplace federal subsidies. While the COVID-19 relief legislation passed earlier this year provides greater subsidy assistance through 2022, Democrats in Congress are currently considering making the temporary federal help permanent or extending it as part of their planned budget reconciliation legislation.

  • How Marketplace Costs and Premiums Will Change if American Rescue Plan Subsidies Expire

    News Release

    In a new Policy Watch, KFF analysts explore the potential impact of the expiration of the American Rescue Plan Act’s enhanced financial help and new eligibility for the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance Marketplace federal subsidies. While the COVID-19 relief legislation passed earlier this year provides greater subsidy assistance through 2022, Democrats in Congress are currently considering making the temporary federal help permanent or extending it as part of their planned budget reconciliation legislation. The…

  • Nov. 10 Web Briefing to Release the 2021 Employer Health Benefits Survey Capturing Trends in Offer Rate, Premiums, Cost Sharing and Benefit Changes Related to COVID-19

    Event Date:
    Event

    KFF released its 2021 benchmark Employer Health Benefits Survey via a public web briefing on Nov. 10, 2021. This 23rd annual survey provided a detailed look at the current state of employer-based coverage and trends in private health insurance for both large and small firms. Fielded among a nationally representative sample of nearly 1,700 employers with at least three workers, the survey captures average premiums for workers and employers and their rate of increase; average…

  • Nonprofit Hospitals’ Tax-Exempt Status Worth About $28 Billion, New KFF Analysis Finds

    News Release

    Editor's Note: The press release was updated on March 27, 2023, to reflect corrections in the underlying analysis, resulting in a modest increase in the total estimated value of tax exemption, from $27.6 to $28.1 billion. The tax-exempt status of the nation’s nonprofit hospitals collectively was worth about $28 billion in 2020, a new KFF analysis of hospital financial data estimates. The total reflects the estimated federal, state and local taxes that nonprofit hospitals do…

  • KFF Health News, NPR, and CBS News Win Loeb Award for Series on Medical Debt in America

    News Release

    KFF Health News won the 2023 Loeb Award in the personal finance and consumer reporting category for its in-depth coverage of consumer medical debt in its “Diagnosis: Debt” series. In partnership with NPR and CBS News, KFF Health News examined the stories behind the more than 100 million people in America who have been pushed into debt by the nation’s health care system, revealing the epidemic of medical debt that has become a defining feature…

  • As Open Enrollment Begins, KFF’s Updated Subsidy Calculator and 300+ FAQs Demystify ACA Marketplaces

    News Release

    A recent KFF survey found one-in-three people with Marketplace coverage say it is somewhat or very difficult to find a plan that meets their needs. With ACA enrollment beginning November 1, KFF has updated its most-used Marketplace tools and published an explainer on key changes and issues to watch in this year’s open enrollment season. Tools for Open Enrollment>> KFF’s Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator provides estimates of 2024 health insurance premiums and subsidies for people…