KFF Health Tracking Poll – October 2021: Home And Community Based Services And Seniors’ Health Care Needs October 15, 2021 Poll Finding The October KFF Health Tracking Poll explores experiences with unpaid caregiving, and favorability of expansion of home and community based services (HCBS). It also examines experiences with difficulty affording and putting of health care services among seniors, favorability of the ACA and experience with determining eligibility for lower cost insurance as part of the COVID relief package.
The Inequity Of The Medicaid Coverage Gap and Why It Is Hard To Fix It October 14, 2021 Perspective In this column for the JAMA Health Forum, Larry Levitt explores why the Medicaid “coverage gap” still exists in 12 states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act, why it matters, and why eliminating it could prove challenging.
Limited Access to Paid Family Leave October 14, 2021 Slide Most people will need to take time off work to care for themselves or their families at some point, but only one in five (21%) workers have access to paid family leave through their employer. Congress is considering creating a universal paid family and medical leave program as part of the Build Back Better Act.
7 in 10 Medicare Beneficiaries Report That They Did Not Compare Their Coverage Options During a Recent Open Enrollment Period October 13, 2021 News Release With the Medicare open enrollment period set to begin October 15, a new KFF analysis finds that 7 in 10 beneficiaries (71%) say that they didn’t compare their coverage options during a recent open enrollment season. Twenty-nine percent said they did compare Medicare plans. But not shopping around can have…
The Public Weighs In On Medicare Drug Negotiations October 12, 2021 Poll Finding This data note from the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll explores the public’s views on Medicare drug price negotiation, including how arguments on both sides impact support and opposition; confidence in leaders to do the right thing on drug pricing; and experiences with prescription drug costs.
Large Majorities Across Parties Favor Allowing the Federal Government to Negotiate Drug Prices, Even After Hearing Common Arguments About It October 12, 2021 News Release Most of the Public Lacks Confidence that President Biden, Congressional Democrats or Republicans Will Do the Right Thing on Drug Prices Allowing the federal government to negotiate with drug companies to lower drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries and people enrolled in private plans – a key cost-saving proposal in the…
In Focus Groups, Direct Care Workers and Unpaid Caregivers Describe Low-Wage, Physically-Challenging Work That is Often Mentally Overwhelming and Marked By Uncertainty October 8, 2021 News Release In recent focus group interviews, 32 paid direct care workers and unpaid caregivers who assist seniors and people with disabilities with self-care and household activities describe daily work defined by low pay, physical demands and mental stress that has been made worse by the pandemic. KFF conducted the four focus…
Voices of Paid and Family Caregivers for Medicaid Enrollees Receiving HCBS October 8, 2021 Issue Brief To help inform the ongoing debate, KFF conducted four focus groups in July and August 2021 with direct care workers and unpaid caregivers who provide HCBS, assisting seniors and people with disabilities with daily self-care and household activities. These focus groups are not necessarily generalizable to all caregivers, but can provide insight into their experiences to help inform current policy debates.
Returning to School: State COVID-19 Prevention Policies Across the Country October 8, 2021 Blog To better understand the extent to which states have adopted policies consistent with CDC guidance, we examined state policies for all 50 states and DC focused on COVID-19 prevention strategies in K-12 public schools for the 2021-2022 school year.