A 50-State Review of Access to State Medicaid Program Information for People with Limited English Proficiency and/or Disabilities Ahead of the PHE Unwinding August 26, 2022 Issue Brief This issue brief reviews accessibility of information for people with LEP and people with disabilities provided through state Medicaid websites and call center automated phone trees as of June 16, 2022. The analysis shows that while states have taken some steps to support access to information and applications for people with LEP and people with disabilities, gaps in accessibility remain.
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.
Medicare Advantage Is Close to Becoming the Predominant Way That Medicare Beneficiaries Get Their Health Coverage and Care August 25, 2022 News Release As Medicare Advantage continues to grow, a gradual but significant reshaping of the Medicare program is taking place. A new KFF analysis finds that nearly half of eligible Medicare beneficiaries – 28.4 million out of 58.6 million Medicare beneficiaries overall – are now enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. That represents…
Monkeypox (MPX) Cases and Vaccinations by Race/Ethnicity August 24, 2022 Issue Brief A small number of states, as well as some local jurisdictions, are reporting race/ethnicity data on MPX cases and vaccinations and these data show a disproportionate impact of MPX cases on Black and Hispanic people. The data available to date on vaccinations also suggest that Black and Hispanic people are receiving smaller shares of vaccinations despite accounting for larger shares of cases.
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…
COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by Race/Ethnicity: Current Data and Changes Over Time August 22, 2022 Issue Brief This is an updated analysis of COVID-19 cases and deaths by race/ethnicity that incorporates more recent data and age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates.
PEPFAR Reauthorization: Side-by-Side of Legislation Over Time August 18, 2022 Issue Brief This brief identifies time-bound PEPFAR authorities and also provides a detailed side-by-side comparison of PEPFAR’s authorizing legislation over time.
Mental Health Parity at a Crossroads August 18, 2022 News Release With federal agencies preparing to update parity regulations and Congress considering reforms, our new report explains existing parity requirements, including who they apply to and how their enforced, and highlights key policy issues raised by regulators and advocates that could be addressed in the future. Those issues include: Simplifying parity standards…
Mental Health Parity at a Crossroads August 18, 2022 Issue Brief This brief discusses federal mental health parity protections — what they are, who they apply to, who enforces them and key policy issues as Congress and federal agencies evaluate improvements to the law to address gaps in mental health coverage and access.
Fate of Medicaid Expansion and Filling the Coverage Gap May Once Again Depend on the Outcome of State Elections August 17, 2022 Blog This post examines the potential for this year’s midterm elections to decide the fate of Medicaid expansion, with gubernatorial races in 10 of the 12 states that have not expanded, including Georgia, Kansas and Wisconsin, where the gubernatorial race is considered a toss-up. South Dakota voters also will decide a Medicaid expansion ballot initiative.