Over-the-Counter Oral Contraceptive Pills September 14, 2023 Issue Brief Oral contraceptives are the most commonly used method of reversible contraception in the U.S. In July 2023, the FDA approved Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive pill to become available over the counter (OTC) without a doctor’s prescription. This issue brief provides an overview of OTC oral contraceptives and laws and policies related to insurance coverage.
COVID-19 Vaccine Access for Uninsured Adults this Fall September 13, 2023 Blog This policy watch provides an overview of how uninsured adults currently access recommended vaccines, how they have accessed COVID-19 vaccines thus far, including what is known about their vaccine uptake, and proposed plans to provide COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured adults this fall and beyond.
The Health Wonk Shop: Probing the Legal Arguments in the Drug Industry’s Challenges to Medicare Drug Price Negotiations September 12, 2023 Event With the Biden administration’s announcement of the first 10 drugs to be negotiated for Medicare as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), an array of legal challenges from the pharmaceutical industry is potentially the biggest obstacle to implementation. In court filings, individual drugmakers and the industry’s main lobbying group…
Alex Wayne September 11, 2023 Person Alex Wayne is executive editor of KFF Health News. He previously worked for Bloomberg News, where he led coverage of the Joe Biden and Donald Trump presidencies and reported on health care policy, including the development of the Affordable Care Act. In 2020, he helped manage and edit articles about…
How Many Physicians Have Opted Out of the Medicare Program? September 11, 2023 Issue Brief This brief provides the most recent data on the extent to which non-pediatric physicians are opting out of Medicare, by specialty and by state.
KFF Dashboard: Progress Toward Global HIV Targets in PEPFAR Countries September 11, 2023 Interactive This dashboard monitors progress being made to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in countries where PEPFAR operates. It includes data for 54 countries and tracks progress against 6 different indicators.
Medicaid Utilization and Spending on New Drugs Used for Weight Loss September 8, 2023 Blog This brief discusses Medicaid coverage of weight-loss drugs, recent trends in Medicaid utilization and gross spending on new drugs used for weight loss, and the potential implications of those new drugs for Medicaid programs and enrollees.
Medicare Advantage Enrollment, Plan Availability and Premiums in Rural Areas September 7, 2023 Issue Brief Medicare Advantage enrollment is lower, but has grown more rapidly in recent years in rural areas than in metropolitan areas. In 2023, nearly 40% of eligible Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas are in Medicare Advantage. Rural Medicare beneficiaries can choose from 27 Medicare Advantage plans on average and most are enrolled in a plan that charges no additional premium.
Understanding Medicaid Procedural Disenrollment Rates September 7, 2023 Blog State Medicaid unwinding data show procedural disenrollment rates are high across most states. This policy watch provides insights for interpreting the data and describes steps the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and states are taking to reduce procedural disenrollments.