Traditional Medicare Spending Fell Almost 6% in 2020 as Service Use Declined Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic June 1, 2022 Issue Brief Total spending among traditional Medicare beneficiaries fell in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, corresponding to lower service use across most types of Medicare-covered health care services compared to 2019. The lower spending in traditional Medicare contributed to the relatively slower growth in Medicare spending overall in 2020.
Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, Medicare Spending on Skilled Nursing Facilities Increased More than 4% Despite an Overall Decline in Utilization June 1, 2022 Issue Brief Medicare spending for skilled nursing facilities increased in 2020 despite an overall decrease in the number of Medicare beneficiaries using SNF services. The higher spending is explained by longer and more expensive SNF stays in 2020 compared to 2019, both of which increased more sharply for Medicare beneficiaries under the age of 65 than for older Medicare SNF users.
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: Pregnancy Misinformation – May 2022 May 27, 2022 Poll Finding Misinformation and confusion about the COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy is common among women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, with about three in ten saying they believe at least one false statement regarding the COVID-19 vaccines.
Misinformation About COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy is Widespread, Including Among Women Who are Pregnant or Planning to Get Pregnant May 27, 2022 News Release Misinformation and confusion about the COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy remains widespread, with most people – including women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant – either believing or being uncertain about at least one of three false claims they’ve heard, a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor shows. Among women…
The Uncertain Future of Policies to Promote Access and Affordability Put in Place During the COVID-19 Pandemic May 19, 2022 Perspective In this column for the JAMA Health Forum, Larry Levitt highlights four changes implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic that helped to make health care more accessible and affordable and the prospects for those changes to telehealth, COVID-19 coverage, Medicaid and marketplace premiums continuing beyond the pandemic’s end.
COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Among Nursing Home Staff Have Risen by 25 Percentage Points Since the Biden Administration Announced a Vaccination Mandate for Health Care Workers Last Year May 16, 2022 News Release In a new analysis, KFF researchers find that COVID-19 vaccination rates among nursing home staff increased by 25 percentage points nationally (63% to 88%) from when the Biden administration announced the vaccine mandate for health care workers in August 2021 to after vaccination deadlines passed in March 2022. Researchers analyzed…
Nursing Facility Staff Vaccinations, Boosters, and Shortages After Vaccination Deadlines Passed May 16, 2022 Issue Brief This analysis uses nursing facility-level data reported by the federal government to track the increase in vaccination rates among nursing facility staff nationally and by state between August 2021 (when the vaccine mandate was first announced) and March 27th, 2022 (after the vaccine deadline for health workers had passed in all states). Additionally, this analysis provides state-level information on booster rates among nursing home staff and the prevalence of staffing shortages after all vaccination deadlines had passed.
1 in 5 Parents of Children Under 5 Intend to Get Them a COVID-19 Vaccine Right Away Once Eligible; Most Say Approval Delays Have Not Shaken Their Confidence in Vaccine’s Safety and Effectiveness May 4, 2022 News Release About a Third of the Public Thinks the Nation is Facing a New COVID-19 Wave as Cases Rise About a fifth (18%) of parents with children under age 5 say they intend to get their child vaccinated “right away” once federal regulators authorize its use for their child’s age group,…
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: April 2022 May 4, 2022 Poll Finding This Vaccine Monitor survey finds about one in five parents of children under age five say they will get their child vaccinated right away, and another 38% plan to wait and see how the vaccine is working for others. With mask mandates lifted in many areas. most workers say they feel safe at their workplace, though Black, Hispanic and low-income workers are less likely to feel “very safe.”
Tracking Social Determinants of Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic April 21, 2022 Issue Brief This brief provides an overview of social determinants of health and a look at how adults are faring across an array of measures throughout the pandemic.