Turning the Spotlight on Medicare Advantage for 2017 December 21, 2016 News Release Medicare Advantage plans, which consist primarily of HMOs and PPOs, now cover almost 18 million people – nearly one-third of all Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare Advantage plans have been in the news lately because the proposed merger between Aetna and Humana, which together account for one-quarter of all Medicare Advantage enrollees,…
Kaiser Health Policy News Index: 2016 in Review December 21, 2016 Poll Finding The Kaiser Health Policy News Index is designed to help journalists and policymakers better understand which health policy-related news stories Americans are following, and what the public knows about health policy issues covered in the news. This analysis examines the top health policy news stories in 2016.
Understanding Who Opioid Users Are Underscores Challenges December 19, 2016 Perspective The 21st Century Cures Act provided a billion dollars in new funding for opioid prevention and treatment. In this Wall Street Journal Think Tank column, Drew Altman looks at the challenges based on a new Kaiser-Washington Post survey of long term opioid users.
Medicare Advantage Plans in 2017: Short-term Outlook is Stable December 21, 2016 Issue Brief This issue brief analyzes the number and variety of Medicare Advantage plan choices available to beneficiaries in 2017. It describes trends in number of Medicare Advantage plans and plan quality ratings, and new information on plan premiums, out-of-pocket expense limits, and other plan features. This spotlight is part of a series of spotlights tracking key changes in the Medicare Advantage program.
Serious Illness in Late Life: The Public’s Views and Experiences November 2, 2017 Report In context of the rapidly growing number of older adults in the U.S. and increasing challenges that this population faces, the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a large scale, nationally representative telephone survey to better understand people’s expectations about later life and efforts they’ve taken to plan for if they become seriously ill. To learn more about the experiences of those with serious illness specifically, this survey also included interviews with adults who are either personally age 65 or older living with a serious illness, or have an older family member who is or was before they recently died.
Key Issues in Long-Term Services and Supports Quality October 27, 2017 Issue Brief This issue brief discusses four key issues related to long-term services and supports (LTSS) including institutional and home and community-based services (HCBS) quality, highlighting major legislative and policy changes over the last 30 years since the passage of the Nursing Home Reform Act.
50-State Survey Finds Medicaid Enrollment Growth Slowing, with an Uptick in Spending Growth Driven by Provider Rate Increases and Rising Costs for Rx Drugs and Long-Term Care October 19, 2017 News Release Medicaid enrollment growth slowed to 2.7 percent in state fiscal year 2017, down from 3.9 percent the prior year and far off the peak of 13.2 percent in 2015 that followed implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Medicaid expansion, according to a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation.…
Medicaid in Uncertain Times: Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018 at a Forum with the National Association of Medicaid Directors October 19, 2017 Event At 9:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 19, the Kaiser Family Foundation released its 17th annual 50-state Medicaid budget survey for state fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Kaiser and the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) are holding a joint briefing to discuss trends in enrollment and spending and highlight…
Putting Medicaid in the Larger Budget Context: An In-Depth Look at Three States in FY 2017 and FY 2018 October 19, 2017 Issue Brief This report provides an in-depth examination of Medicaid program changes in the larger context of state budgets in three states: Nevada, North Carolina and West Virginia. These case studies build on findings from the 17th annual budget survey of Medicaid officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and Health Management Associates (HMA).
Extending Federal Funding for CHIP: What is at Stake? November 2, 2017 Fact Sheet This fact sheet provides an overview of the status of action to extend federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).