Beyond Cost, What Barriers to Health Care do Consumers Face? August 22, 2024 Issue Brief High cost-sharing and expenses not covered by insurance leave some people with expensive medical bills. But costs are not the only barriers to health care access. According to KFF’s new analysis, many adults can face logistical barriers to care, like work schedules or finding a doctor in network or appointment.…
Harris is Reframing Health as an Economic Issue August 21, 2024 From Drew Altman In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman describes how Vice President Harris has reframed health as a pocketbook economic issue, which aligns with voters’ concern about health care costs.
FAQs about the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program August 20, 2024 Issue Brief The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently concluded the first round of negotiation for the new Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, which was established by the Inflation Reduction Act. These FAQs address several questions related to Medicare’s drug price negotiation program and CMS’s implementation of the new program, with a focus on the details that apply for 2026, the first year that negotiated prices will be available under this new program.
What are the Trends in Health Utilization and Spending in Early 2024? August 20, 2024 Issue Brief Recent trends in healthcare utilization and spending suggest that most spending on health services exceeds pre-pandemic levels and health costs are growing at a faster rate than in recent years. However, utilization of care has been uneven by setting and market. For example, some measures of hospital utilization remain lower…
The First-Ever Government Negotiation Process for Drugs Has Finished, But the Politics Are Ongoing August 19, 2024 Perspective This post for Health Affairs Forefront examines how the results of the first-ever Medicare drug price negotiations will generate savings for the government and for Medicare beneficiaries, and how candidates’ views on the issue could play a role in the upcoming elections and in the future of government negotiation.
While Medicare Drug Price Negotiations Don’t Apply to Private Insurance, 3.4 Million People with Employer Coverage Take at Least One of the Selected Drugs August 14, 2024 News Release Among the 167 million people with employer-sponsored insurance in 2022, 3.4 million used at least one of the first 10 drugs identified for Medicare price negotiations.
How Many People with Employer-Sponsored Insurance Use the Drugs Slated for Medicare Price Negotiations August 14, 2024 Issue Brief Among the 167 million people with employer-sponsored insurance in 2022, 3.4 million used at least one of the first 10 drugs identified for Medicare price negotiations, according to a new analysis. The most used drug for people with employer-sponsored health insurance was Jardiance, a drug used to treat diabetes and…
Compare the Candidates on Health Care Policy August 5, 2024 Page The side-by-side comparison tool provides a quick overview of former President Trump’s and Vice President Harris’ records, positions, public statements, and proposed policies on a range of key health care topics.
Marketplace Insurers are Proposing a 7% Average Premium Hike for 2025 and Pointing to Rising Hospital Prices and GLP-1 Drugs as Key Drivers of Costs August 5, 2024 News Release ACA Marketplace insurers are proposing a median premium increase of 7% for 2025, similar to the 6% premium increase filed for 2024, according to a new KFF analysis of the preliminary rate filings. Insurers’ proposed rate changes – most of which fall between 2% and 10% – may change during…
How Much and Why ACA Marketplace Premiums Are Going Up in 2025 August 5, 2024 Issue Brief This analysis of insurers’ preliminary rate filings shows that ACA Marketplace insurers are requesting a median premium increase of 7% for 2025, similar to the 6% premium increase filed for 2024. Insurers cite growing health care prices – particularly for hospital care – as a key driver of premium growth in 2025.