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Hospital Prices Have Risen Much Faster for Private Insurance Than Medicare Since 2019

Hospitals account for nearly one-third of US health spending and 40% of spending growth from 2022-2024. Analysis shows hospital prices paid by private insurers have risen faster than Medicare rates since 2019, a trend with implications for affordability.

Hospital prices paid by private insurers rose 30% from 2019-2026, compared to a 21% increase in Medicare payment rates. The disparate growth widened an existing gap between what Medicare and private plans pay for hospital services.

What Are the Recent Trends in Employer-Based Health Coverage?

Policy Changes Bring Renewed Focus on High-Deductible Health Plans

Health Insurer Financial Performance in 2024

Examining Short-Term Limited-Duration Health Plans

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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  • A Conversation with Washington Gov. Inslee and Colorado Gov. Polis on the Public Option in Their States

    Event Date:
    Event

    On Friday, Feb. 7, KFF hosted a conversation with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee about their states’ efforts to establish a public health insurance option and make other changes to address health costs and access. The two governors have made health reforms a key part of their agendas and are seeking to expand access to affordable coverage for their residents through a public option – an approach that some national…

  • ACA 101: What You Need To Know

    Event Date:
    Event

    On Friday, March 6, 2014, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Alliance for Health Reform hosted an ACA 101 briefing on the Affordable Care Act. The briefing took place just as the second marketplace enrollment period ended, and the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case challenging the ACA's subsidies (King v Burwell).

  • The Affordable Care Act After Six Years

    From Drew Altman

    In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman examines the role of the Affordable Care Act in the health system on its sixth anniversary, and how the hot debate about the law may have created an exaggerated impression of the good and the bad it can do.

  • What’s at Stake with ACA Repeal?

    Interactive

    This interactive includes a map and tables that highlight the increases in health insurance coverage through Medicaid and the Marketplaces as well as the increased federal funding that resulted from the implementation of the ACA.

  • Media Availability on Senate Health Bill

    Event Date:
    Event

    The Kaiser Family Foundation held a media-only conference call Tuesday, June 27, with key experts to explain the Senate Republican health bill and to answer questions about its implications and the CBO’s scoring of the bill. During the call, Kaiser's experts  answered reporters' questions about the bill’s potential impact and implications, including how premiums, tax credits, and insurer participation in the ACA’s marketplaces could change; how the bill would phase out federal funding for the…

  • Would States Eliminate Key Benefits if AHCA Waivers are Enacted?

    Issue Brief

    This analysis offers a window into how insurers could respond if the Affordable Care Act's essential health benefits requirement is rolled back, a change being considered by Congressional leaders and allowed through state waivers by the House-passed American Health Care Act as a potential way for lowering premiums.

  • Web Briefing for Media: 2017 Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Benefits Survey

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    Event

    The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) held a reporters-only web briefing on Tuesday, September 19 to release their 2017 benchmark Employer Health Benefits Survey. The 19th annual Kaiser/HRET survey provides a detailed look at the current state of employer-based coverage and trends in private health insurance for both large and small firms. Key findings examine average premiums for workers and employers and their rate of increase; average deductibles, drug co-payments…

  • Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions About Health Insurance Exchanges

    Issue Brief

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), signed into law in March 2010, made broad changes to the way health insurance will be provided and paid for in the United States. PPACA created a new mechanism for purchasing coverage called Exchanges, which are entities that will be set up in states to create a more organized and competitive market for health insurance by offering a choice of health plans, establishing common rules regarding the…

  • 2021 Calculator – Before COVID-19 Relief

    Interactive

    The Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator, updated with 2021 premium data, provides estimates of health insurance premiums and subsidies for people purchasing insurance on their own in health insurance exchanges (or “Marketplaces”) created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With this calculator, you can enter your income, age, and family size to estimate your eligibility for subsidies and how much you could spend on health insurance.

  • Web Briefing for Journalists: Marketplace Open Enrollment in the Trump Era

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    Event

    With the Trump administration’s announcements last week, the landscape around Affordable Care Act marketplaces and the open enrollment period beginning Nov. 1 continues to shift. Though the 2010 health law remains intact for now, consumers will see fundamental differences this year when it comes to signing up for 2018 marketplace plans. Premiums are increasing significantly in some states, though not all consumers will feel the impact. The enrollment period is shorter. Healthcare.gov will experience regular…