Trends in Workplace Wellness Programs and Evolving Federal Standards June 9, 2020 Issue Brief This brief examines trends in large employers’ use of wellness programs that collect personalized health information from workers, often with financial incentives, and the evolving federal standards governing such programs.
Key Issues Related to COBRA Subsidies May 28, 2020 Issue Brief Congress is considering proposals to subsidize COBRA coverage. We discuss the group market coverage that would be extended by COBRA subsidies, how COBRA costs and coverage compare to other common coverage options for those who lose job-based coverage (ACA Marketplace plans or Medicaid), and key considerations regarding COBRA subsidies for consumers and employers.
Five Things to Know about the Cost of COVID-19 Testing and Treatment May 26, 2020 Issue Brief This brief answer key questions on affordability of COVID-19 testing and treatment for people who are uninsured and those insured through private coverage, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Most private insurers are no longer waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment August 19, 2021 Issue Brief This analysis finds nearly three quarters of the largest health plans in each state are no longer waiving enrollees’ cost-sharing requirements for COVID-19 treatment as of August 2021. Insurers largely waived those costs early in the pandemic, before safe and effetive vaccines were available.
What Can Employers Do to Require or Encourage Workers to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine? August 3, 2021 Fact Sheet This fact sheet reviews what employers can and cannot do under current rules and guidance to require or encourage their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Insurer Filings Suggest COVID-19 Pandemic Will Not Drive Health Spending In 2022 October 18, 2021 Issue Brief This brief reviews initial 2022 premium rate filings for Marketplace-participating individual market insurers in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Most expect health utilization patterns to return to pre-pandemic levels and therefore not factoring in any impact on their 2022 premiums.
Most Insurers Participating in the Marketplaces Don’t Expect COVID to Affect Their 2022 Costs July 19, 2021 News Release After a tumultuous year of unpredictable COVID-19 changes to utilization and spending, a review of early rate filings for individual market insurers participating in the Affordable Care Act Marketplace finds that most are expecting a return to normal in 2022 without the pandemic playing a large role. The review of…
Poll: Few are Aware of Hospital Price Transparency Requirements June 28, 2021 News Release Few Americans realize that starting this year hospitals are required to post prices of common health services on their websites in a format patients can access and use, data from the KFF Health Tracking poll shows. Federal regulations that took effect January 1 require this price transparency for hospitals to…
Few Adults Are Aware of Hospital Price Transparency Requirements June 28, 2021 Issue Brief This data note for the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker shows that few Americans realize that starting this year hospitals are required to post prices of common health services on their websites in a format patients can access and use.
Analysis: Half of Emergency Ambulance Rides Lead to Out-of-Network Bills for Privately Insured Patients June 24, 2021 News Release About half of emergency ground ambulance rides result in an out-of-network charge for people with private health insurance, potentially leaving patients at risk of getting a surprise bill, a new KFF analysis for the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker finds. Congress last year enacted the “No Surprises Act,” which prohibits most…