The Real Cost of Health Care: Interactive Calculator Estimates Both Direct and Hidden Household Spending February 21, 2019 News Release A new interactive tool from KFF estimates total household health spending for individuals and families in the U.S., including costs that are often less visible to consumers. Users can generate scenarios based on family size, income level, insurance source, and health status. In addition to estimating direct costs like deductibles…
“Partial” Medicaid Expansions Could Limit States’ Spending But Cover Fewer People at a Higher Federal Cost Compared to Traditional ACA Expansions February 21, 2019 News Release If states were able to receive enhanced Affordable Care Act matching funds for “partial” expansions of Medicaid, fewer people would get health coverage and the federal government would spend more, compared to a traditional expansion under the law, KFF explains in a new brief. The explainer describes how a partial…
Analysis Finds that Medications for Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS Are the Costliest Group of Outpatient Prescription Drugs for Medicaid, While Diabetes Drugs Have Posted the Sharpest Rise in Costs February 15, 2019 News Release Antiviral medications, including those that treat hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS, cost the Medicaid program more money (before rebates) than any other group of outpatient prescription drugs for each year from 2014 to 2017, according to a new KFF analysis. The analysis of utilization and spending trends finds that antivirals accounted…
Missouri Foundation for Health and KFF Announce New Long-term Partnership, Establish Kaiser Health News Midwest Bureau in St. Louis February 14, 2019 News Release ST. LOUIS, Mo. & SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) and KFF (the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation) have entered into a new long-term partnership to establish a KHN (Kaiser Health News) Midwest Bureau, based in St. Louis, Missouri. KFF – the trusted source of health policy…
Coverage at Work: The Share of Nonelderly Americans with Employer-Based Insurance Rose Modestly in Recent Years, but Has Declined Markedly Over the Long Term February 1, 2019 News Release An improving economy and the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate may be behind a modest increase in the share of Americans with job-based health insurance in recent years, but the long-term trend remains a downward one, according to a new KFF analysis. Data from the federal National Health Interview Survey…
Medicare Part D Enrollees with Serious Health Conditions Can Face Thousands of Dollars in Out-of-Pocket Costs Annually for Specialty Drugs January 29, 2019 News Release Despite Medicare’s protections, Part D enrollees with serious health conditions can face thousands of dollars in annual out-of-pocket costs for expensive specialty drugs, a new KFF anaylsis finds. The analysis draws on data from Medicare’s Plan Finder website to calculate expected annual 2019 costs for more than two dozen specialty tier…
California Poll: Access to Mental Health Care, Insurance Coverage, and Affordability Rank among Californians’ Top Health Care Priorities for the New Governor and Legislature January 24, 2019 News Release Large Majorities across Parties Say Medi-Cal is Important to the State; Most Residents Say Program is Important to Their Families; Access to Care Remains a Challenge for Some Enrollees Californians rank making health care more affordable among their top overall priorities for the state’s new governor and legislature, with 45…
Poll: Majorities Favor a Range of Options to Expand Public Coverage, Including Medicare-for-All January 23, 2019 News Release At a time when debate is beginning about a national Medicare-for-all plan and other approaches to expanding coverage through public programs, this month’s KFF Health Tracking poll examines Americans’ early opinion on a range of options under consideration. The poll finds majority support for four different approaches: 77 percent of…
Ebola Spreads amid Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and U.S. Role Remains Limited January 18, 2019 News Release A new KFF issue brief examines the international and U.S. response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, now the second largest ever recorded, as authorities struggle to contain the virus’ spread amid violence in an active combat zone. Conflict in the Ebola-affected region has impeded…
If the Affordable Care Act is Struck Down, Nearly All Americans Would Be Affected in Some Way December 20, 2018 News Release The Affordable Care Act’s changes to the nation’s health care system are so widespread that nearly all Americans would be affected in some way if a federal judge’s decision ruling the entire law unconstitutional is upheld, according to a new analysis from KFF (the Kaiser Family Foundation). While the changes…
