Medicaid Outpatient Prescription Drug Trends During the COVID-19 Pandemic December 14, 2021 Issue Brief This data note describes Medicaid prescription drug utilization and spending trends in calendar year 2020 compared to previous years to explore how the pandemic impacted Medicaid prescription drug utilization and spending.
Build Back Better Would Change the Ways Low-Income People get Health Insurance December 14, 2021 Issue Brief The Build Back Better Act would make a number of changes to the way people get health insurance and how health care is financed, including by temporarily closing the Medicaid coverage gap.
Health Employment Continues Slow Recovery Since the Beginning of the Pandemic December 10, 2021 News Release Unlike past recessions, the health sector saw a big drop in employment in early 2020 similar to other sectors as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of the nation’s economy and remains below expected employment levels through November 2021, a new KFF chart collection shows. The chart collection takes a…
Donor Government Funding for International Family Planning Declines After Increasing the Previous Three Years December 10, 2021 News Release A new KFF analysis finds donor government support for global family planning efforts totaled US$1.40 billion in 2020, a decline of US$114 million compared to last year’s level of US$1.52 billion. This decline in donor funding was largely due to the decreased funding from the UK, family planning’s second largest…
Donor Government Funding for Family Planning in 2020 December 10, 2021 Report In 2020, donor government funding for family planning activities totaled US$1.40 billion, a decline of more than US$100 million compared to the 2019 amount (US$1.52 billion).
The No Surprises Act Begins January 2022: This is What You Can Expect December 10, 2021 News Release The “No Surprises Act,” which establishes new federal protections against most surprise out-of-network medical bills when a patient receives out-of-network services during an emergency visit or from a provider at an in-network hospital without advance notice, will take effect next month. A new KFF brief outlines what to expect in…
Consumer Appeal Rights in Private Health Coverage December 10, 2021 Issue Brief The Affordable Care Act (ACA) gives consumers the right to appeal private health plan claims denials and other adverse decisions, including the incorrect application of cost sharing, although limits apply. This issue brief describes consumer access to appeals and limits on appeal rights that have been adopted through federal regulations.
No Surprises Act Implementation: What to Expect in 2022 December 10, 2021 Issue Brief The “No Surprises Act,” which establishes new federal protections against most surprise out-of-network medical bills when a patient receives out-of-network services during an emergency visit or from a provider at an in-network hospital without advance notice, will take effect next month. A new KFF brief outlines what to expect in 2022.
How the Use of Race in Clinical Care Can Contribute to Health Care Disparities December 9, 2021 News Release A new KFF brief examines the use of racial classification in medical care and teaching and identifies how these practices can contribute to ongoing racial disparities in health and health care. There are growing efforts within the medical community to examine and revise the use of race in medical care…
State Policies Expanding Access to Behavioral Health Care in Medicaid December 9, 2021 Issue Brief On KFF’s 21st annual Medicaid budget survey, all responding states reported at least one initiative to expand behavioral health care in Medicaid, including crisis service and other benefit expansions, initiatives to expand telehealth and address equity, and managed care changes.