For ACA Enrollees, How Much Premiums Rise Next Year is Mostly up to Congress May 18, 2022 Blog Most customers with coverage through Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces will face big premium increases next year if Congress doesn’t extend the temporary enhanced tax credits included in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. If the outcome isn’t clear by summer, fall open enrollment could be a mess.
Employer Coverage of Travel Costs for Out-of-State Abortion May 16, 2022 Blog This Policy Watch gives an overview of employers offering to cover travel expenses for workers who need to go out of state for an abortion in the context of increasing restrictions on abortion around the country. We discuss who is offering these benefits, the implications for workers, and some of the legal and political concerns for employers.
Analysis: The Vast Majority of Physicians Accept New Patients, Including Patients With Medicare and Private Insurance May 12, 2022 News Release Despite occasional anecdotal reports of people having trouble finding a doctor who takes their insurance, KFF researchers find in a new analysis that the vast majority of non-pediatric office-based physicians accept new Medicare patients, as well as new private insurance patients. Eighty-nine percent of such physicians accepted new Medicare patients…
Most Office-Based Physicians Accept New Patients, Including Patients With Medicare and Private Insurance May 12, 2022 Issue Brief This brief examines the share of non-pediatric office-based physicians accepting new patients with Medicare or private insurance and how these rates have changed over time and vary by physician specialties, geographic areas, and physician and practice characteristics across Medicare and private insurance. This analysis further examines the extent to which non-pediatric physicians are opting out of Medicare, by specialty and state.
Many Workers, Particularly at Small Firms, Face High Premiums to Enroll in Family Coverage, Leaving Many in the ‘Family Glitch’ April 12, 2022 Issue Brief Data from the KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey demonstrates that some workers face very high contribution amounts for family coverage, including 12% who would have pay at least $10,000 annually in premiums for a family of four. These are the workers most likely to benefit from a fix to the ‘family glitch’.
Out-of-pocket spending on insulin among people with private insurance March 24, 2022 Issue Brief This analysis of insurance claims data finds that Congressional proposals to set a $35 per month cap on what people pay out of pocket for insulin would provide financial relief to at least 1 out of 5 insulin users with different types of private health insurance.
Many Privately Insured People with Diabetes Could Save Money if Congress Caps Insulin Costs March 24, 2022 News Release Several legislative proposals in Congress propose a $35 per month cap on what people with health insurance would have to pay out of pocket for insulin, a life-saving hormone taken regularly by many people with diabetes to maintain their health. Such a cap could provide financial relief to at least…
A Snapshot of Mental Health and Access to Care Among Nonelderly Adults in California March 17, 2022 Issue Brief The COVID-19 pandemic has coincided with worsening mental health across the country, and California is no exception. This data note find that in California in 2020, many nonelderly adults experienced poor mental health and did not receive needed care.
No Surprises Act Quiz March 17, 2022 Quiz A new federal law provides new consumer protections against “surprise” medical bills beginning this year. Test your knowledge about its provisions with this 12-question quiz.
Half of Admissions in the Large Group Market Are Paid Above 150% of Medicare Rates, Excluding Maternity Admissions March 11, 2022 Issue Brief This analysis looks at in-network payment rates for inpatient hospital stays, other than maternity/newborn admissions, among large employer plans relative to Medicare payment rates. We find that a cap of 150% of Medicare rates would affect 52% of in-network admissions and 36% of in-network spending, while a cap of 300% of Medicare rates would affect 13% of in-network admissions and 13% of in-network spending, with variation across types of admissions.