A national leader in employee benefits brokerage & consulting.
This brief explores mental health and substance use during, and prior to, the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight populations that were more likely to experience worse mental health and substance use outcomes during the pandemic and discuss some innovations in the delivery of services.
Read ArticleYoung adults in the United States continue to be more likely than their older counterparts to be experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to the latest federal data analyzed by KFF researchers. The analysis of the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey finds that half (50%) of adults ages 18-24 reported anxiety and depression symptoms…More
Read ArticleThe provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires most private health plans to cover many preventive services without any cost-sharing for their enrollees is being challenged in federal court. The U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas in September concluded that aspects of the requirement were unconstitutional and violated religious rights…More
Read ArticleThis analysis of claims data estimates that six in ten people with private health insurance – or about 100 million people – used at least one preventive service covered without any out-of-pocket costs through a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a typical year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (2018). The provision that…More
Read ArticleThis slideshow explains the prescription drug provisions proposed in the Inflation Reduction Act as passed by the Senate
Read ArticleThis slideshow explains the prescription drug provisions proposed in the Inflation Reduction Act as passed by the Senate
Read ArticleThe tax-exempt status of the nation’s nonprofit hospitals collectively was worth nearly $28 billion in 2020, a new KFF analysis of hospital financial data estimates. The total reflects the estimated federal, state and local taxes that nonprofit hospitals do not have to pay. It also includes estimated increases in charitable contributions and decreases in bond…More
Read ArticleThis data note estimates that the value of tax exemption for nonprofit hospitals was $28 billion in 2020. This amount exceeds estimated charity care costs among nonprofit hospitals in 2020 ($16 billion), though charity care represents only a portion of the community benefits reported by nonprofit hospitals.
Read ArticleThis analysis illustrates the potential total cost of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, based on their publicly-announced expected prices, once they enter the U.S. commercial market. It compares the average price paid by the federal government for the COVID-19 bivalent boosters to the estimated average commercial prices across different scenarios.
Read ArticleIn a months-long project, KFF’s Kaiser Health News correspondent Brett Kelman joined forces with CBS News National Consumer Investigative Correspondent Anna Werner to investigate an unregulated dental device that is at the heart of numerous accounts of pain and disfigurement. At least 10,000 dental patients have been fitted with the fixed Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance…More
Read ArticleThis analysis for the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker uses claims data from private, large employer-based plan to examine trends in complexity coding across outpatient practice settings from 2004 to 2021. It finds a trend toward higher complexity codes that contributes to higher outpatient spending.
Read ArticleRural hospitals fared worse financially in states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act than in states that expanded Medicaid, a new KFF analysis finds. Nearly one third of all rural hospitals nationally are in the 11 states that have not approved the expansion of their Medicaid programs to cover…More
Read ArticleThis data note examines rural hospitals’ operating margins in recent years. After seeing higher margins early in the pandemic, likely due to government relief funds, rural hospitals now face renewed challenges, especially in states that have not expanded Medicaid.
Read ArticleThis brief explains a new proposed federal regulation aimed at reducing administrative hassles involved in obtaining prior authorization for care and sets out key policy questions, including how the proposal could impact the patient experience and data privacy.
Read Article