Posts
This brief focuses on consumers’ understanding of health insurance costs and examines existing federal protections that seek to address barriers to understanding the cost of coverage and care, such as price transparency, self-service price estimator tools, and simplifying cost-sharing designs. from KFF https://ift.tt/ApyrD05
Bird Flu Knowledge, Misleading Claims About Measles Prevention, and Health Content Restrictions — The Monitor
Bird Flu Knowledge, Misleading Claims About Measles Prevention, and Health Content Restrictions — The Monitor
This volume examines beliefs about bird flu and the false promotion of vitamin A as a measles prevention. It also covers social media content moderation and the misrepresentation of a study on gender-affirming care. Lastly, it explores when people prefer AI chatbots over humans for health information. from KFF https://ift.tt/ZANPcfz
As Congress weighs potential cuts in federal Medicaid spending through budget reconciliation, one option under consideration is to limit the use of state taxes on providers. This brief uses data from KFF’s 2024-2025 survey of Medicaid directors to describe states’ current provider taxes and the federal rules governing them. from KFF https://ift.tt/PnJgqpv
New Rule Proposes Changes to ACA Coverage of Gender-Affirming Care, Potentially Increasing Costs for Consumers
New Rule Proposes Changes to ACA Coverage of Gender-Affirming Care, Potentially Increasing Costs for Consumers
This brief examines a proposed rule that seeks to change how ACA plans would cover gender affirming care services. If finalized the rule could lead insurers to drop coverage or shift costs to individuals and states, making access to gender affirming care more difficult. from KFF https://ift.tt/XDMqPue
In November 2024, CMS finalized a 2.83% decrease in the physician fee schedule conversion factor, a key aspect of payment rates under the Medicare program, resulting in a 2.93% decrease in overall payments to physicians and other clinicians. Congress has not yet enacted legislation to address this payment cut, which went into effect on January 1, 2025. This issue brief answers key questions about how physicians are paid under the Medicare program, and reviews policy options under discussion for payment reform. from KFF https://ift.tt/KIG7eaV
This brief explores the magnitude of federal funding cuts under the House budget resolution and puts the $880 billion in context by comparing the size of the cuts to states’ tax revenues, spending on education, and the number of Medicaid enrollees covered for that cost. from KFF https://ift.tt/WNu2e0I
The recently passed House budget resolution targets cuts to Medicaid of up to $880 billion or more over a decade to help pay for tax cuts. Major cuts to Medicaid may impact coverage for the almost 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries (12.2 million) who are also enrolled in Medicaid. from KFF https://ift.tt/hjSwkPH
In this brief, we explore avenues for expanding hormonal contraceptive care and supplies through pharmacies, as well as how and where pharmacies and pharmacists may be positioned to fill gaps in contraceptive care where there are few brick-and-mortar family planning providers, as well as the challenges in expanding these pathways. from KFF https://ift.tt/uh6nvCZ
Congress passes Full-Year Continuing Resolution Bill, maintaining global health funding at prior year levels
Congress passes Full-Year Continuing Resolution Bill, maintaining global health funding at prior year levels
On March 15, 2025, the President signed a full-year “continuing resolution” (CR) that continues funding the federal government through the rest of the fiscal year. It maintains U.S. global health funding at the prior year (FY 2024) level ($10.8 billion).[i] The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, which was passed by the House on … More from KFF https://ift.tt/pQY5aun
Program integrity efforts work to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse, to increase program transparency and accountability, and to recover improperly used funds. This brief explains what is known about improper payments and fraud and abuse in Medicaid and describes ongoing state and federal actions to address program integrity. from KFF https://ift.tt/1IA5aN8
In this JAMA Health Forum post, Executive Vice President Larry Levitt recalls the mid-1990s’ public backlash against Health Maintenance Organizations (commonly known as HMOs) – all of which preceded the recent outpouring of health insurance concerns – as well as how consumer protections against coverage restrictions have evolved and fallen short. from KFF https://ift.tt/2vOHXQJ
This volume covers recent claims about COVID vaccine safety after a new study describes a rare condition it calls “post-vaccination syndrome” (PVS). It also investigates the false claim that ivermectin can treat cancer and highlights the re-emergence of concerns online about Gardasil, and its alleged mortality rate. from KFF https://ift.tt/kqCU1ZW
This chart collection examines five types of indicators: outcomes of treatment, provision of appropriate treatment, patient safety, preventive services, and health system capacity and workforce shortages. Measuring quality in health care is complex: a vast number of metrics are used to monitor health system performance since there is no singular definition of quality, and data is often limited and delayed. from KFF https://ift.tt/xC8ZHO2
Poll: With More Than Half the Public Saying They or a Family Member Have Been Covered by Medicaid, Large Majorities Don’t Want Cuts, Including Most Trump Voters and Rural Residents
Poll: With More Than Half the Public Saying They or a Family Member Have Been Covered by Medicaid, Large Majorities Don’t Want Cuts, Including Most Trump Voters and Rural Residents
As Congress considers changes to the Medicaid program as part of the budget debate, relatively few (17%) in the public say they want to see a reduction in Medicaid spending, with larger shares saying they want spending to stay about the same (40%) or increase (42%), a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. Support for … More from KFF https://ift.tt/ku1xc4i
This Health Policy 101 chapter examines how public health is governed and delivered in the United States. The chapter includes explanations of key public health frameworks, services, capabilities and characteristics, how the public health system works in state, local and territorial governments, public health funding, workforce, and communication challenges in an era of declining trust and more. from KFF https://ift.tt/mXwTALU
Poll: Two Thirds Believe Dissolving USAID Will Lead to More Illness and Death Globally, While Nearly Half Say It Would Significantly Reduce the Budget Deficit and Fund Domestic Programs
Poll: Two Thirds Believe Dissolving USAID Will Lead to More Illness and Death Globally, While Nearly Half Say It Would Significantly Reduce the Budget Deficit and Fund Domestic Programs
As the Trump administration works to dissolve the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a new KFF poll finds that two-thirds (67%) of the public believe these actions will increase illness and death in low-income countries, and a similar majority (62%) believe it will result in more humanitarian crises around the world. At the same … More from KFF https://ift.tt/Sh2I38y
This poll finds most of the public believe the cutbacks at USAID will lead to increases in illness and death in low-income countries. Nearly half say it will reduce the U.S. budget. Most of the public also overestimates the share of the federal budget that is spent on foreign aid, and when informed it is about 1% of the federal budget, the share who want to reduce spending drops. from KFF https://ift.tt/d4sQXyf