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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  • How Many Employers Could be Affected by the Cadillac Plan Tax?

    Issue Brief

    As fall approaches, we can expect to hear more about how employers are adapting their health plans for 2016 open enrollments. One topic likely to garner a good deal of attention is how the Affordable Care Act’s high cost plan tax (HCPT), sometimes called the “Cadillac plan” tax or "Cadillac tax," is affecting employer decisions about their health benefits. The tax takes effect in 2018. The potential of facing an HCPT assessment as soon as…

  • 2015 Employer Health Benefits Survey

    Report

    This annual Employer Health Benefits Survey (EHBS) provides a detailed look at trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, including premiums, employee contributions, cost-sharing provisions, and other relevant information. The 2015 EHBS survey finds average family health premiums rose 4 percent in 2015, relatively modest growth by historical standards.

  • Kaiser Health Tracking Poll – October 2017: Open Enrollment and the ACA Marketplaces

    Poll Finding

    The October Kaiser Health Tracking Poll focuses on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) marketplaces as the November 1st open enrollment period approaches, amidst a period of uncertainty on the future of the individual market. The survey finds the majority of the public think it is more important for President Trump and Congress to work on legislation to stabilize the marketplaces rather than continue efforts to repeal and replace the ACA. A majority – across parties…

  • As Senate Weighs Bipartisan Stabilization Bill with Cost-Sharing Reduction Funding, Current Marketplace Enrollees Face Challenges with Affordability 

    News Release

    Knowledge and Awareness of Key Facts Regarding Enrollment Is Low As the Nov. 1 start of the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period nears, new polling data from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that most potential enrollees are unaware of when they can enroll and have not seen any related advertisements. Fielded prior to yesterday’s announcement of a bipartisan marketplace stabilization deal in the Senate that among other things would increase outreach funding, the survey…

  • New Analysis Examines Proposed Changes to Workplace Wellness Programs

    News Release

    As Congress considers legislation that would change federal rules governing workplace wellness programs that gather information about workers’ health and risk status, a new Kaiser Family Foundation brief explains how workplace wellness programs could be affected and possible implications for workers with sensitive health conditions. Among the findings: Seven in 10 (71%) large employers providing health benefits collect personal health information through wellness programs, according to the annual Kaiser Family Foundation/HRET Employer Health Benefits Survey.…

  • The Effects of Ending the Affordable Care Act’s Cost-Sharing Reduction Payments

    Issue Brief

    This analysis estimates that total federal spending on Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies would rise $2.3 billion, or 23 percent, in 2018 if payments for the cost-sharing reduction program were eliminated and insurers increased premiums to compensate. Established to reduce out-of-pocket costs for marketplace enrollees with lower incomes, the cost-sharing payments are being challenged in a lawsuit from the U.S. House.

  • Federal Government Could See Net Increase of $2.3 Billion in Costs in 2018 if ACA Cost-Sharing Reduction Payments Eliminated

    News Release

    Ceasing payments for the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) cost-sharing reduction program could save $10 billion, but cost an additional $12.3 billion in premium tax credits – an estimated net increase of $2.3 billion, or 23 percent, in federal spending on marketplace subsidies – in 2018, if insurers continue to participate in ACA marketplaces, according to a new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The cost-sharing subsidies, established to reduce out-of-pocket costs for ACA marketplace enrollees…

  • Premiums for Employer-Sponsored Family Health Coverage Rise Slowly for Sixth Straight Year, Up 3% but Averaging $18,764 in 2017

    News Release

    Workers Covered By Smaller Firms Pay More Toward Family Premiums and in Cost Sharing Than Those in Larger Ones Menlo Park, Calif. – Annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose an average of 3 percent to $18,764 this year, continuing a six-year run of relatively modest increases, according to the benchmark Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) 2017 Employer Health Benefits Survey released today. This year’s premium increase is similar to the rise in…