Private Insurance

Health Care Affordability

BTD Health Policy in 2026

Health Policy in 2026

President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman forecasts eight things to look for in health policy in 2026. “First and foremost,” he writes, “is the role health care affordability will play in the midterms.” And, he notes: “The average cost of a family policy for employers could approach $30,000 and cost sharing and deductibles will rise again after plateauing for several years.”

View all of Drew’s Beyond the Data Columns

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  • Network Adequacy Standards and Enforcement

    Issue Brief

    Health plan networks affect patient access to care. This brief reviews options for setting and enforcing network adequacy standards and tools for making differences in plan networks more transparent.

  • Marketplace Sign-ups Increased by 21% in 2022

    Feature

    Forty-seven states saw Marketplace enrollment increase, ranging from 1% in Rhode Island to 42% in Texas. In 20 states, enrollment increased by more than 20%.

  • How are Large Private Insurers Covering At-Home Rapid Tests?

    News Release

    Less than a week after a new federal mandate to cover such products took effect, about half of the nation’s largest private insurers allow enrollees to directly obtain rapid at-home COVID-19 tests from specific sources without having to pay anything upfront, a new KFF analysis finds. The new coverage requirement took effect Jan.

  • How Are Private Insurers Covering At-Home Rapid COVID Tests?

    Policy Watch

    This policy watch provides an early look at how top private insurers are implementing a new requirement to cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests. Initially about half offer a direct coverage option and half require an enrollee to pay upfront and then seek reimbursement.

  • Surprise Medical Bills are Ending, But Controversy Continues

    Perspective

    In this column for the JAMA Health Forum, Larry Levitt examines how the No Surprises Act that prohibits unexpected out-of-network charges for patients could lead to lower payment rates and revenues for some doctors and other care providers.

  • Workers Wary of Wellness Programs that Tie Premiums to Participation and Outcomes

    News Release

    June Poll Finds No Change in Public's Overall View of the Affordable Care Act Most in Military Households Say VA Problems Are Systemic and Care Not As Good As What Other Americans Receive  As many employers begin to expand their wellness programs under new guidelines set forth by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the latest…

  • Taking Stock and Taking Steps: A Report from the Field after the First Year of Marketplace Consumer Assistance under the ACA

    Report

    This report summarizes experiences of Marketplace assistance programs as they helped consumers enroll in coverage during the first Open Enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act. Insights about what worked and where improvements could help are drawn from discussions of assisters and other experts who participated in a Consumer Assistance Roundtable, jointly sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in June, 2014.