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

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. 

U.S. Health Spending Is Expected to Reach $9 Trillion by 2034

How Much is Health Spending Expected to Grow?

This chart collection explores how much health spending is expected to grow in the coming years, with a look at growth in prescription drug spending, out-of-pocket spending, and related trends.

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.

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  • Q&A with Drew Altman on Healthcare Issues in Boston Sunday Globe

    Other Post

    Q&A with Drew Altman on Healthcare Issues in Boston Sunday Globe In a Boston Sunday Globe Q&A published on Sunday, July 18, Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman discussed rising healthcare premiums and their impact on families. "Q&A with Kaiser's Drew Altman on Healthcare Issues" by Kimberly Blanton

  • Section 6: Employee Contributions for Premiums

    Report

    Exhibit 6.1 Exhibit 6.9 Exhibit 6.2 Exhibit 6.10 Exhibit 6.3 Exhibit 6.11 Exhibit 6.4 Exhibit 6.12 Exhibit 6.5 Exhibit 6.13 Exhibit 6.6 Exhibit 6.14 Exhibit 6.7 Exhibit 6.15 Exhibit 6.8  

  • Health Care and the 2004 Elections: Prescription Drug Costs

    Issue Brief

    Prescription Drug Costs Download a printable .pdf of Health Care and the 2004 Elections: Prescription Drug Costs. IssueBackgroundOptions for for making prescription drugs more affordableAssessing Candidate PositionsIssue Health care costs in general have grown faster than the economy. Although still only a modest part of total health care spending in the United States (11% in 2002), the growth in pharmaceutical spending has outpaced other categories of health care services over the last few years. What,…

  • Responding to the Threat of Bioterrorism:  Is California’s Public Health System Ready? — Issue Brief

    Issue Brief

    Responding to the Threat of Bioterrorism: Is California's Public Health System Ready? -- Issue Brief A 4-page issue brief which looks at the threat of bioterrorism and the public health system s role in responding to such an attack. The issue brief also addresses what can be done nationally and in California to prepare for a possible bioterrorist attack. The brief lists the panel for a California Health Policy Roundtable to be held in Sacramento,…

  • What We Know About Provider Consolidation

    Issue Brief

    This brief reviews what we know about the impact of provider consolidation on health care prices and quality and finds that consolidation leads to higher prices with no compelling evidence of commensurate quality improvements.

  • California Health Insurance Act (SB2) Data Update

    Report

    On October 5, 2003, Governor Gray Davis signed into law the California Health Insurance Act of 2003 (also referred to as SB2). This law would require employers with 200 or more workers to either pay into a fund that will provide coverage to their workers or to pay for 80% of the premium costs for their workers and dependents (effective January 1, 2006). Medium-sized employers (between 50 and 199 workers) would be required either to…

  • Section 5: Market Shares of Health Plans

    Report

    The distribution of enrollment among types of health plans has remained fairly constant over the past several years. The majority of covered workers are enrolled in PPO plans (55%), followed by HMO plans (25%) (Exhibit 5.1). Although annual changes in plan enrollment have been moderate, enrollment in PPO plans has grown by nine percentage points since 2001. More than half of covered workers (55%) are enrolled in PPO plans, an increase from 46% in 2001…

  • Snapshots: Compensation for Workers with and without Access to Health Benefits at Work

    Other Post

    A newer version of this Snapshot is available here. Compensation for Workers with and without Access to Health Benefits at Work  October 2008 This paper compares the payroll and benefit compensation of workers that had access to employer-sponsored health benefits at work to that of workers who did not have an insurance offer.  By analyzing compensation differences within occupations and establishment sizes for those with and without access to health benefits, we provide new information…