What the Data Show: Black Women Report More Pervasive Negative Experiences in Health Care Compared to Other Groups May 8, 2024 News Release A new analysis of data from KFF’s Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health shows Black women are more likely than other groups to report being treated unfairly by a health care provider in recent years because of their race and ethnicity and that these experiences have health consequences. For example,…
Five Facts About Black Women’s Experiences in Health Care May 7, 2024 Issue Brief This brief examines Black women’s experiences in health care, including unfair treatment by providers due to race and their health outcomes as a result of this treatment. The brief also explores the association between racially concordant providers and positive health care experiences among Black women.
Five Facts About Older Adults’ Health Care Experiences by Race and Ethnicity April 29, 2024 Issue Brief This analysis highlights key findings about the health care experiences of older adults (ages 65 and older) based on KFF’s 2023 Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health, including variations by race and ethnicity.
Ten Things to Know About Consolidation in Health Care Provider Markets April 19, 2024 News Release Mergers and acquisitions involving hospitals and other health care providers are drawing attention from federal and state regulators, including the Federal Trade Commission, and policymakers amid concerns that such consolidations can reduce competition and contribute to the high costs of health care. A new KFF brief examines and summarizes the…
Ten Things to Know About Consolidation in Health Care Provider Markets April 19, 2024 Issue Brief As policymakers and regulators pay more attention to consolidation in health care provider markets, this brief examines and summarizes the evidence about consolidation, including recent trends, the impact on prices and quality, and proposals to address consolidation and increase competition.
What to Know About How Medicare Pays Physicians March 6, 2024 Issue Brief In November 2023, CMS finalized a 3.4% decrease in the physician fee schedule conversion factor, a key aspect of payment rates under the Medicare program, resulting in a 1.25% decrease in overall payments that is expected to vary by specialty. This issue brief answers key questions about how physicians are paid under the Medicare program, and reviews policy options under discussion for payment reform.
How Many Physicians Have Opted Out of the Medicare Program? September 11, 2023 Issue Brief This brief provides the most recent data on the extent to which non-pediatric physicians are opting out of Medicare, by specialty and by state.
Understanding the Role of the FTC, DOJ, and States in Challenging Anticompetitive Practices Of Hospitals and Other Health Care Providers August 7, 2023 Issue Brief This brief explains the role of federal and state antitrust agencies in challenging anticompetitive practices among hospitals and other health care providers, including the legal authority of federal and state agencies, the role that they play in enforcing antitrust laws, and proposed options for strengthening their authority.
Outpatient Visits Are Growing More Complex: Implications for Health Costs February 27, 2023 Issue Brief This 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.
The Last Major Phase of the COVID-19 Vaccination Roll-out: Children Under 5 June 21, 2022 Issue Brief With the FDA authorization of both Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 5, the last major phase of the U.S. vaccination roll-out is underway. This brief provides an overview of the characteristics of children under the age of 5 and discusses some issues to consider in rolling out vaccination to this age group.