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Medicare-for-All Would Eliminate Most or All of Medicaid, But No One Is Talking About It
In this Axios column, Drew Altman explores the large implications of eliminating Medicaid in a Medicare-for-all system—an issue that has not received much attention in the current debate.
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State Actions to Improve the Affordability of Health Insurance in the Individual Market
A number of states have taken steps to provide consumers with more affordable coverage options in the individual market, including the marketplaces. Some states are implementing strategies that lower premiums by building on, and increasing the stability of the individual market, while other states are expanding the availability of lower cost coverage sold outside the marketplaces that does not comply with ACA standards—an approach that could increase marketplace premiums further. This brief examines these different approaches and discusses the implications of state policy choices.
Issue Brief Read MoreAnalysis: ‘Cadillac Tax’ on High-Cost Health Plans Could Affect 1 in 5 Employers in 2022
A new KFF analysis estimates that the Affordable Care Act’s tax on high-cost health plans would affect one in five (21%) employers offering health benefits when it takes effect in 2022 unless employers change their health plans. An even larger share (31%) could be affected when workers’ voluntary contributions to…
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How Many Employers Could Be Affected by the High-Cost Plan Tax
The high cost plan tax (HCPT) sometimes referred to as the Cadillac tax, is an excise tax on the cost of employer health benefit exceeding certain threshold. The HCPT provides a powerful incentive to control health plans costs over time, whether through efficiency gains or shifts in costs to workers. While many employers do not expect that the tax will take effect in 2022, others are already amending their health programs in anticipation. We estimate if the tax takes effect in 2022, 21% will be subject to the tax, increasing to 37% by 2030 unless firms reduce costs. Large shares would be affected when counting workers’ voluntary contributions to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
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Uwe Reinhardt’s New Book Priced Out: His Health Policy Ideas in Today’s Debates
Dr. Uwe Reinhardt is a giant in the health policy field who advised policymakers and influenced debates about the nation’s health system before his passing in 2017. His recently released last book, Priced Out: The Ethics and Economics of Health Care, completed by his wife and longtime collaborator Tsung-Mei (May) Cheng gives…
Event Read MoreExplaining Texas v. U.S.: A Guide to the 5th Circuit Appeal in the Lawsuit Challenging the Affordable Care Act
The outcome of the Texas v. U.S. legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could have far-reaching consequences for the nation’s health system, from rolling back the expansion of Medicaid to removing protections for people with pre-existing conditions and revoking the ability of adult children to stay on their…
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Explaining Texas v. U.S.: A Guide to the 5th Circuit Appeal in the Case Challenging the ACA
This issue brief answers key questions about Texas v. U.S., the case challenging the Affordable Care Act, leading up to the oral argument on appeal.
Issue Brief Read MoreAbout 1 in 6 Emergency Visits and Hospital Stays Had At Least One Out-of-Network Charge in 2017
In roughly 1 of every 6 emergency room visits and inpatient hospital stays in 2017, patients came home with at least one out-of-network medical bill, a new KFF analysis finds. More specifically, 18 percent of all emergency visits and 16 percent of in-network hospital stays had at least one out-of-network…
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An Examination of Surprise Medical Bills and Proposals to Protect Consumers from Them
This analysis examines how often patients get hit with surprise medical bills, what circumstances tend to give rise to them and what proposals are being considered to protect consumers from this problem. The study of claims data from large employer health plans finds that in roughly 1 of every 6…
Issue Brief Read MoreUniversal Coverage May Not Mean Everyone Has Health Insurance
Universal coverage is a big and important goal. But would absolutely everyone be covered under current proposals? Is it a better rallying cry for Democrats in the primaries or the general election? Drew Altman analyzes these questions in an Axios column.
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