Hospital Charity Care: How It Works and Why It Matters November 3, 2022 Issue Brief This issue brief examines the role that hospital charity care programs play in helping patients who are unable to afford their care. It describes how hospital charity care programs work, the amount of charity care that hospitals provide, relevant federal and state regulation, the role of Medicare and Medicaid in helping hospitals afford charity care expenses, and policy proposals related to charity care programs.
Medicare Beneficiaries Rarely Change Their Coverage During Open Enrollment November 1, 2022 Issue Brief During the Medicare open enrollment period for 2020, Medicare beneficiaries had an average of 24 Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans and 28 stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans to choose from for their coverage. Despite having so many Medicare options, relatively few Medicare private plan enrollees opted to switch their coverage.
Abortion Grows as a Motivator for Midterm Voters, Particularly for Democrats and in States Where It Has Become Illegal Since the Supreme Court Overturned Roe v. Wade October 12, 2022 News Release Few Voters Know About the Medicare Drug Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, Though Seniors are More Aware and Would Be Likely to Vote for Candidates Who Support Them About a month ahead of the 2022 midterm election, abortion continues to grow as a motivating issue for voters, especially among…
Medicaid and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 September 22, 2022 Blog The recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) includes a number of climate, tax, and health care provisions and prescription drug reforms. This policy watch explores the potential impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act on overall Medicaid spending as well as implications for Medicaid beneficiaries.
The Inflation Reduction Act is a Foot in the Door for Containing Health Care Costs August 25, 2022 Perspective In this column for the JAMA Forum, KFF’s Larry Levitt explores the Medicare drug-price negotiation provisions and other significant drug-price changes in the Inflation Reduction Act and their potential to lead to further efforts to address health care costs.
August 24 Web Event: Health Care Inflation in the U.S. August 24, 2022 Event As the 2022 mid-term elections approach, inflation and gas prices are on the top of voters’ minds. While health care prices have often risen faster than the rest of the economy, the prices for medical services are generally set in advance – often tied to the calendar year – creating…
Key Facts About Medicare Part D Enrollment and Costs in 2022 August 17, 2022 Issue Brief This analysis provides the latest data about Medicare Part D enrollment, premiums, and cost sharing in 2022 and trends over time, including information about stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans.
August 11 Web Event: Understanding the Health Care Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act August 11, 2022 Event The Inflation Reduction Act includes several landmark health care provisions that would lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare, reduce Medicare drug spending and extend enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage. On Thursday, August 11, a panel of KFF experts held a web briefing to explain these…
How Would the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Senate Reconciliation Proposal Affect Medicare Beneficiaries? July 27, 2022 Issue Brief The brief provides a quick explainer of the prescription drug provisions in legislative text released by the Senate Finance Committee to be included in a forthcoming reconciliation bill and presents new estimates on how many Medicare beneficiaries could be helped by those provisions.
Abortion Access Rises as a Voting Issue and Motivator, Especially Among Democrats and Reproductive-Age Women, But Inflation Continues to Dominate as Americans Worry About Bills August 2, 2022 News Release Following the Supreme Court’s decision to end the constitutional right to an abortion, most voters (55%) now say access to abortion is “very important” to their vote in November’s midterm elections, up 9 percentage points since February prior to the decision, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. This heightened…