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.
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.
Preventive Services for Women Covered by Private Health Plans under the Affordable Care Act December 20, 2016 Fact Sheet This fact sheet summarizes preventive services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that could be impacted by the Trump administration, with a focus on the recommended services that are promulgated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
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.
What Are the Implications of Repealing the Affordable Care Act for Medicare Spending and Beneficiaries? December 13, 2016 Issue Brief The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) included many provisions affecting the Medicare program and the 57 million seniors and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health insurance coverage. This brief explains the Medicare provisions in the ACA and explores the implications for Medicare and beneficiaries of repealing these provisions.
What Might a Repeal of the Affordable Care Act Mean for Medicare? December 13, 2016 News Release As Republican policymakers consider how to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), they are likely to face a number of decisions about whether to retain any of the law’s changes to Medicare. Repealing the ACA has potential implications for Medicare spending, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders, according to a…
Repeal of Obamacare Could Cause the ‘Death Spiral’ Critics Warned About December 12, 2016 Perspective Originally published in The Los Angeles Times, this perspective examines the potential implications for the individual market if key parts of the Affordable Care Act were repealed without a replacement plan.
An Estimated 52 Million Adults Have Pre-Existing Conditions That Would Make Them Uninsurable Pre-Obamacare December 12, 2016 News Release A new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis finds that 52 million adults under 65 – or 27 percent of that population — have pre-existing health conditions that would likely make them uninsurable if they applied for health coverage under medical underwriting practices that existed in most states before insurance regulation changes…
Pre-existing Conditions and Medical Underwriting in the Individual Insurance Market Prior to the ACA December 12, 2016 Issue Brief This brief reviews medical underwriting practices by private insurers in the individual health insurance market prior to 2014, and estimates how many American adults could face difficulty obtaining private individual market insurance because of a pre-existing condition if the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) were repealed or amended and such practices resumed.
The Washington Post/Kaiser Survey: 1 in 3 Long-Term Prescription Painkiller Users Think They’re Addicted or Dependent December 11, 2016 News Release As the nation struggles with an ongoing epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse, misuse, and overdoses, a new Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds that one in three (34%) of those who recently used such drugs for at least two months report being addicted or dependent. Featured in Sunday’s The Washington…