A national leader in employee benefits brokerage & consulting.
What's The Latest News
What are the Consequences of Health Care Debt Among Older Adults?
Health care debt is a widespread problem in the United States. Medicare offers coverage for a range of health care services, including hospitalizations, physician visits, prescription drugs, and post-acute care, but Medicare beneficiaries generally pay out-of-pocket for their monthly premiums and deductibles, cost-sharing for Medicare-covered services, and the cost of services not covered by Medicare. This data note examines findings from the KFF Health Care Debt Survey to assess the prevalence, sources and consequences of health care debt among Medicare-age adults.
Inflation Reduction Act Health Insurance Subsidies: What is Their Impact and What Would Happen if They Expire?
Enhanced premium subsidies were first made available under the American Rescue Plan Act and extended until the end of 2025 under the Inflation Reduction Act. This analysis shows the impact that enhanced subsidies have had on enrollment and premium payments, and the potential implications if the enhanced subsidies expire.
ACA Marketplace Enrollees Will See Steep Increases in Premium Payments in 2026 if Enhanced Subsidies Expire
Without the enhanced subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace enrollees in 12 of the states that use HealthCare.gov would see their annual premium payments at least double on average, according to a new KFF analysis. Enrollees in three states would see the steepest annual increases: Wyoming (195% or $1,872),…More
Medicare Advantage Enrollees Account for a Rising Share of Inpatient Hospital Days
This analysis examines the recent growth of Medicare Advantage as a share of hospital inpatient days. Medicare Advantage rose from 13% to 23% of all inpatient days from 2015 to 2022, although there was wide variation among hospitals.
Supreme Court Decision Limiting the Authority of Federal Agencies Could Have Far-Reaching Impacts for Health Policy
On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a longstanding legal precedent that required federal courts to defer to reasonable agency interpretation when statutes are ambiguous. The decision will shift many policy decisions from federal agencies to federal judges, with implications for health policy that will reverberate for years to come. This issue brief examines the decision and assesses what’s ahead.
Compare the Presidential Candidates’ Health Care Records and Positions
The side-by-side comparison tool provides a quick overview of former President Trump's and President Biden's records, positions, public statements, and proposed policies on a range of key health care topics.
The Health Wonk Shop: What’s Behind the Buzz about Site-Neutral Payments?
A panel of experts joined Larry Levitt, KFF’s executive vice president for health policy, for a discussion on the concept of site-neutral payments, including why it has become an issue for policymakers and private payers like insurers and employers, how Medicare payments currently work, how various proposals would change the law, and the potential impact of those changes.
Five Things to Know About Medicare Site-Neutral Payment Reforms
This brief examines key facts around proposals to align Medicare payments for outpatient services across care settings, otherwise known as “site-neutral payment reforms.”
The Facts About the $35 Insulin Copay Cap in Medicare
This brief describes the facts about actions taken under both the Trump and Biden Administrations related to capping insulin copayments for people with Medicare and explains the differences between their approaches.
Costly GLP-1 Drugs are Rarely Covered for Weight Loss by Marketplace Plans
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans rarely cover GLP-1 drugs approved solely for obesity treatment, according to a new KFF analysis of 2024 federal plan data. Wegovy, a drug that is approved for weight loss, is covered by just 1% of Marketplace prescription drug plans, compared to 82% of Marketplace prescription drug plans for Ozempic,…More
How ACA Marketplace Premiums Changed by County in 2024
This analysis details how ACA marketplace premiums changed by county from 2023 to 2024, after taking into account expanded subsidies available under the Inflation Reduction Act.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores trends in health care costs in the U.S. and the factors that contribute to this spending. It also examines how health care spending varies across the population, the impact of costs on care affordability and individuals' overall financial vulnerability.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores the performance of the U.S. health system on a number of cost, outcomes, and quality measures by comparing it with those in similarly large and wealthy OECD nations. It highlights that despite significant spending, Americans have shorter life expectancies and encounter more barriers to health care, influenced by both the health system's structure and broader socioeconomic factors.
How Does Medical Inflation Compare to Inflation in the Rest of the Economy?
This brief analyzes prices for medical care compared to other goods and services using consumer price index (CPI) and producer price index (PPI) data. Overall prices grew by 3.5% in March 2024 from the previous year, while prices for medical care increased by only 2.2%.
