worlds Insurance blog

Ahead of the Trump administration’s planned expansion of Medicare coverage for GLP-1s to treat obesity through temporary models and the availability of Medicare’s negotiated price for certain GLP-1 products beginning in 2027, this analysis examines CMS’s Medicare Part D claims data from 2019 to 2024 to document the increase in the number of beneficiaries being treated with GLP-1 drugs and the growth in Medicare spending and claims for these drugs. from KFF https://ift.tt/H2ctiQO

Nebraska is the first state to announce it plans to begin enforcing Medicaid work requirements early, starting May 1, 2026. Initial reports from the state during its recent January Medicaid Advisory Committee (MAC) meeting and data from KFF’s Medicaid work requirements tracker provide early insights into how Nebraska is preparing for implementation. from KFF https://ift.tt/Aj49GZ6

This policy watch discusses the implications for the U.S. health care workforce of the recent DOS immigrant visa pause for individuals from 75 countries deemed more likely to be a public charge. from KFF https://ift.tt/iVpJ9e2

A new study found the FDA’s abortion pill decisions followed scientific evidence, as misleading claims about the drug’s safety continue to shape public understanding. And Google removed some health AI summaries after a Guardian investigation reported that AI-generated summaries contained false and potentially dangerous health information. from KFF https://ift.tt/bo7iJdO

Looking ahead to the midterm elections, health care costs are the public’s top economic concern, and many voters say the issue will have a major impact on their vote. On health care issues, including the cost of health care, voters currently trust Democrats more than Republicans, though neither party has an advantage on addressing the overall cost of living. Following the expiration of the ACA enhanced tax credits, two-thirds of the public say Congress did the “wrong thing” by not extending them. from KFF https://ift.tt/ODLBZTX

This analysis assesses the potential reach of the latest expansion of the Mexico City Policy, which is now part of the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance (PHFFA) Policy. from KFF https://ift.tt/J48C6pc

Nearly 53 million prior authorization requests were submitted to Medicare Advantage insurers on behalf of Medicare Advantage enrollees in 2024, of which 4.1 million (7.7%) were denied. Just 11.5% of denied requests were appealed, though 80.7% of appeals overturned the initial denial in Medicare Advantage. Substantially fewer prior authorization requests were made in traditional Medicare, reflecting the small number of services subject to prior authorization requirements. from KFF https://ift.tt/ikyhgPm

This guide provides an overview of executive orders and other executive actions made by the Trump Administration since January 21, 2025 that directly address or affect U.S. global health efforts. This resource identifies each executive action, describes its purpose and actions taken, and outlines the implications and what happens next for each. The resource will be updated as needed. from KFF https://ift.tt/vNIEB2t

This brief describes current state fiscal conditions as states begin fiscal year 2027 budget debates and highlights key areas to watch for Medicaid policy changes as states respond to fiscal challenges and the 2025 reconciliation law. from KFF https://ift.tt/L6yCOuE

Starting in May of last year, HHS Secretary Kennedy and the CDC/ACIP began to make changes to the federal vaccine schedule for children, culminating in an announcement on January 5 of this year with the most wide-ranging changes to date. This policy brief tracks the number of states that have announced they are no longer following federal government recommendations for childhood vaccines as of January 20, 2026. from KFF https://ift.tt/SxdeJ3Z

This budget summary provides an analysis of global health funding amounts provided in the FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor HHS) conference bill and accompanying report. from KFF https://ift.tt/HJy8rYZ

A new features from AI companies, like ChatGPT Health and Claude for Healthcare, aim to provide personalized health guidance, but may still provide wrong or dangerous health advice. And, as the U.S. experiences a severe flu season, a vaccine-strain mismatch may be contributing to misconceptions that flu vaccines are ineffective. from KFF https://ift.tt/xsWMcT2

This brief discusses the current landscape of Medicaid GLP-1 coverage and examines recent trends in Medicaid prescriptions and gross spending on GLP-1s. from KFF https://ift.tt/XWlgyVI

This issue brief provides an overview of a new data sharing agreement for CMS to share Medicaid data with ICE and its potential implications for health care access and data privacy. from KFF https://ift.tt/oFzwNqd

This Health System Tracker analysis examines the tradeoffs ACA Marketplace enrollees must consider as they decide whether to keep their current plan or switch to a new one, following the expiration of the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits at the end of 2025. from KFF https://ift.tt/9zfiVxg

On January 11, 2026, the Appropriations Committee released the FY 2026 National Security, Department of State and Related Programs (NSRP) (formerly State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs [SFOPs]) appropriations bill and accompanying explanatory statement. The bill and explanatory statement include funding for U.S. global health programs at the State Department. from KFF https://ift.tt/TrSIomU

This tracker provides up-to-date information on countries with signed bilateral MOU global health agreements with the U.S. from KFF https://ift.tt/HLtvh6u

To help inform the U.S. America First Global Health Strategy, which includes an emphasis on commodities and pooled procurement, we reviewed eight existing global and regional pooled procurement mechanisms from KFF https://ift.tt/U9SRk8V

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. from KFF https://ift.tt/jAv4E2l

This brief examines efforts in 11 states to fill in funding gaps created by the 2025 federal budget reconciliation law, which prohibits federal Medicaid funding for reproductive-health care services provided by Planned Parenthood and other organizations that also provide abortion care. from KFF https://ift.tt/5t0NGKa

In his latest JAMA Forum column, KFF’s Larry Levitt explores how unaffordable health care is in the U.S. in the context of the debate over extending enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits and an upcoming election where affordability will likely be front and center. from KFF https://ift.tt/GvgVEai

This issue brief answers some key questions about abortion in the United States and presents data collected before and new data that has been published since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. from KFF https://ift.tt/sibFSTA

The Abortion in the U.S. Dashboard is an ongoing research project tracking state abortion policies and litigation following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. from KFF https://ift.tt/oaRkJH7

This policy watch evaluates state awards through the rural health fund in 2026, the first year of the program. The analysis shows relatively modest variations in total awards this year across states but wide variation in how much states will receive per rural resident. from KFF https://ift.tt/7n3aTum

Medicaid home care programs offer various supports to family caregivers such as paid caregiving, self-directed services, respite care, and caregiver training. This issue brief describes the availability of self-directed services and supports for family caregivers in Medicaid home care in 2025, before most provisions in the reconciliation law take effect. from KFF https://ift.tt/CAdRM7J

Policy changes, anticipated increases in premium costs for enrollees, and new standards for health savings accounts may encourage consumers to seek out plans with lower premiums but higher deductibles. This issue brief explores the features of bronze and catastrophic plans, coverage and costs, and the complicated choices consumers face. from KFF https://ift.tt/PX0g8VM