When Cost-Sharing Waivers for COVID-19 Treatment Expire for People with Private Insurance Plans August 24, 2020 Slide About 88% – nearly nine in ten – enrollees in the individual and fully-insured group markets are covered by plans that have taken action to limit out-of-pocket costs for patients undergoing treatment for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. However, after accounting for waivers that have already expired (20%) or are scheduled to expire by the end of September (16%), just over half of enrollees in these plans will still be eligible for waived cost-sharing in October and beyond.
Contraception X Article: Out-of-Pocket Spending for Oral Contraceptives Among Women with Private Insurance Coverage After the Affordable Care Act August 21, 2020 Issue Brief In an article for Contraception X, KFF’s Brittni Frederiksen, Matthew Rae, and Alina Salganicoff examine large employer plans to identify which types and brands of oral contraceptive pills have the largest shares of oral contraceptive users with out-of-pocket spending and which oral contraceptives have the highest average annual out-of-pocket costs after the ACA covered contraception under it’s preventive services provisions.
Analysis: Many Private Insurers Offer Financial Relief for COVID-19 Treatment, but Cost-Sharing Waivers Are Expiring August 20, 2020 News Release A new analysis finds that most people with individual or fully-insured group market coverage are in plans that waived cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment, though many of those waivers are set to expire in the coming months. About 88% – nearly nine in ten – enrollees in the individual and fully-insured…
Health Affairs Article: Medicare Part D Plans Rarely Cover Brand-Name Drugs When Generics Are Available August 10, 2020 Issue Brief In an article in Health Affairs, KFF’s Juliette Cubanski, Sarah True and Tricia Neuman, and several other co-authors, explore how often brand-name drugs receive favorable formulary inclusion relative to generics in the Medicare Part D program’s prescription drug plans.
Insulin Costs and Coverage in Medicare Part D June 4, 2020 Issue Brief In light of heightened attention to insulin and the Trump Administration’s new Part D model to address out-of-pocket costs for insulin for Medicare beneficiaries, we analyzed out-of-pocket spending on insulin by beneficiaries enrolled in Part D drug plans, variation in Part D plan formulary coverage and tier placement of insulin products, and trends in prices for insulin.
Five Things to Know about the Cost of COVID-19 Testing and Treatment May 26, 2020 Issue Brief This brief answer key questions on affordability of COVID-19 testing and treatment for people who are uninsured and those insured through private coverage, Medicare, and Medicaid.
COVID-19 Quiz May 6, 2020 Quiz This 10-question quiz tests your knowledge about the coronavirus and COVID-19, including issues around symptoms, testing, number of cases and deaths, and cost sharing for treatment.
Update on COVID-19 Funding for Hospitals and Other Providers April 24, 2020 Blog This blog is an overview of the outstanding questions related to the $100 billion for hospitals and other providers in the CARES Act and whether there will be meaningful protections for the uninsured and people with private coverage who could face surprise bills.
Free Coronavirus Testing for Privately Insured Patients? April 20, 2020 Blog While privately insured people are eligible to have the cost of coronavirus testing covered 100% by their health plan, that doesn’t mean that insured patients won’t be asked to pay up front for the cost of testing or that they can easily be reimbursed.
Medicare Beneficiaries Without Supplemental Coverage Are at Risk for Out-of-Pocket Costs Relating to COVID-19 Treatment April 14, 2020 Blog Most Medicare Advantage enrollees are in plans that have waived cost sharing for COVID-19 treatment, and many other beneficiaries in traditional Medicare have their cost sharing covered by supplemental insurance. This blog post discusses the 6 million Medicare beneficiaries without supplemental coverage who would face out-of-pocket costs if they require treatment for COVID-19.