Turning Medicare Into a Premium Support System: Frequently Asked Questions July 19, 2016 Issue Brief Premium support is a general term used to describe an approach to reform Medicare that aims to reduce the growth in Medicare spending. These FAQs raise and discuss basic questions about the possible effects of a premium support system for Medicare beneficiaries, the federal budget, health care providers, and private health plans.
Questions and Answers about Turning Medicare into a Premium Support System July 19, 2016 News Release With its inclusion in the House GOP health plan released last month, the idea of converting Medicare into a premium support system once again features prominently in Capitol Hill policy discussions about the future of Medicare, the federal health insurance program that covers 57 million seniors and people with disabilities.…
Kaiser/UNAIDS Study Finds Donor Government Funding for HIV Fell in 2015 for First Time in 5 Years July 15, 2016 News Release Donor government funding to support HIV efforts in low- and middle-income countries fell for the first time in five years in 2015, decreasing from US$8.6 billion in 2014 to US$7.5 billion, finds a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) released in…
Financing the Response to HIV in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: International Assistance from Donor Governments in 2015 July 15, 2016 Report This report, Financing the Response to AIDS in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: International Assistance from Donor Governments in 2015, tracks funding levels of the donor governments that collectively provide the bulk of international assistance for AIDS through bilateral programs and contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Donor government funding to support HIV efforts in low- and middle-income countries fell for the first time in five years in 2015, decreasing from US$8.6 billion in 2014 to US$7.5 billion.
Trends in State Medicaid Programs: Looking Back and Looking Ahead June 21, 2016 Issue Brief For 15 years, KCMU and HMA have conducted annual surveys of Medicaid programs across the country. The NAMD has formally collaborated on this project since 2014. This brief provides a look back at the enrollment and spending trends as well as the multitude of policy actions taken by states across key areas: eligibility and application processes; provider rates and taxes; benefits, pharmacy and long-term care since as well as highlighting more recent data on managed care and delivery system reforms collected as part of this annual survey. Looking ahead, the survey will continue to capture the evolution of the Medicaid program with a focus program changes during economic cycles as well as innovations in payment and delivery system reform.
Web Briefing: Key Issues Ahead of the International AIDS Conference in South Africa June 21, 2016 Event The Kaiser Family Foundation held an interactive web briefing on Tuesday, June 21 to discuss key issues to be addressed at the upcoming International AIDS Conference on July 18-22. The conference will convene in Durban, South Africa, 16 years after it was first held there. The world has seen dramatic progress in…
Uncompensated Hospital Care Fell by $6 Billion Nationally in 2014, Primarily in Medicaid Expansion States; However Many Hospitals Worry About Future Changes in Medicaid Supplemental Payments June 9, 2016 News Release The Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions have benefited hospitals financially, helping to produce an overall decline nationwide in uncompensated care from $34.9 billion to $28.9 billion in 2014, according to a new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Nearly all of the decline occurred in Medicaid expansion states, where uncompensated…
Understanding Medicaid Hospital Payments and the Impact of Recent Policy Changes June 9, 2016 Issue Brief Medicaid payments to hospitals, which include base and supplemental payments, play an important role in hospital finances and can affect beneficiaries’ access to care.This brief provides an overview of Medicaid payments for hospitals and explores the implications of the ACA Medicaid expansion, including changes in uncompensated care, as well as payment policy changes on hospital finances.
U.S. Funding for International Nutrition Programs April 25, 2016 Issue Brief The U.S. government has a long history of supporting global efforts to improve nutrition and is the largest donor to nutrition efforts in the world. This brief provides an overview of U.S. support for nutrition, including trends in funding and top country recipients and places the U.S. within the larger context of overall donor support for the sector.