Preventive Services Use Among People with Private Insurance Coverage March 20, 2023 Issue Brief This analysis of claims data estimates that six in ten people with private health insurance – or about 100 million people – used at least one preventive service covered without any out-of-pocket costs through a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a typical year prior to the COVID-19…
The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use March 20, 2023 Issue Brief This brief explores mental health and substance use during, and prior to, the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight populations that were more likely to experience worse mental health and substance use outcomes during the pandemic and discuss some innovations in the delivery of services.
How Much Could COVID-19 Vaccines Cost the U.S. After Commercialization? March 10, 2023 Issue Brief This analysis illustrates the potential total cost of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, based on their publicly-announced expected prices, once they enter the U.S. commercial market. It compares the average price paid by the federal government for the COVID-19 bivalent boosters to the estimated average commercial prices across different scenarios.
Unwinding the Continuous Enrollment Provision: Perspectives from Current Medicaid Enrollees March 9, 2023 Issue Brief This brief describes 10 key points about the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous enrollment requirement, highlighting data and analyses that can inform the unwinding process as well as recent legislation and guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help states prepare for the end of the continuous enrollment provision.
CMS Prior Authorization Proposal Aims to Streamline the Process and Improve Transparency February 21, 2023 Issue Brief This brief explains a new proposed federal regulation aimed at reducing administrative hassles involved in obtaining prior authorization for care and sets out key policy questions, including how the proposal could impact the patient experience and data privacy.
The End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Details on Health Coverage and Access February 3, 2023 Blog This post provides an overview of how health care coverage and access will and won’t change when the public health emergency ends on May 11, including a discussion of COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments, and telemedicine.
How Will the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act Affect Medicare Beneficiaries? January 24, 2023 Issue Brief The brief provides a quick explainer of the prescription drug provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law on August 16, 2022 and presents new estimates on how many Medicare beneficiaries could be helped by those provisions.
Explaining the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act January 24, 2023 Issue Brief The Inflation Reduction Act includes several provisions that will lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare and reduce drug spending by the federal government. This brief summarizes these provisions and discusses the expected effects on people, program spending, and drug prices and innovation.
FAQs on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Coverage in Medicare January 18, 2023 Issue Brief These FAQs review mental health and substance use disorder coverage and cost sharing in Medicare and discuss recent policy changes related to coverage of mental health and substance use disorder treatments.
What to Know about Medicare Spending and Financing January 19, 2023 Issue Brief This brief provides an overview of Medicare spending and financing, based on the most recent historical and projected data from the Medicare Trustees and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The brief highlights trends in Medicare spending and key drivers of spending growth, including higher enrollment, growth in health care costs, and increases in payments to Medicare Advantage plans.