2022 State Ballot Initiatives on Abortion Rights September 20, 2022 Blog Four states (CA, MI, VT, and KY) will vote on ballot measures related to abortion rights in the November 2022 elections. This policy watch summarizes each of these ballot measures and their implications.
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.
COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Among Children Under 5 Have Peaked and Are Decreasing Just Weeks Into Their Eligibility July 22, 2022 Issue Brief Children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years of age finally became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S. on June 18, after the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended their use for this population, following emergency use authorization granted by the Food and Drug Administration. Here, we examine the status of vaccine uptake in this group, one month into their eligibility.
Do States with Easier Access to Guns have More Suicide Deaths by Firearm? July 18, 2022 Issue Brief The recent mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo have catalyzed discussion around mental health and gun policy. In the same week that the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed strengthening background checks for young adults, adding incentives for red flag laws, and reducing access to guns for individuals with a domestic violence history, the Supreme Court struck down New York’s “proper cause” requirement for concealed carry allowances. In this issue brief, we use the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wonder database and the State Firearm Law Database to examine the association between suicide deaths by firearm and the number of state-level firearm law provisions.
Reading the Post-Roe Tea Leaves in States Without Abortion Bans or Protections June 23, 2022 Blog In the 17 states without explicit laws prohibiting or protecting abortions, we present a number of indicators to assess abortion access, including abortion restrictions, the number of clinics and women of reproductive age per clinic, as well as State Supreme Court rulings interpreting the right to abortion in that state.
Many States Impose a Jail Sentence for Doctors Who Perform Abortions Past Gestational Limits May 23, 2022 Slide Many states impose a jail sentence for doctors who perform abortions past state established gestational limit. Here’s the breakdown of the jail time and state established gestational limits in effect as of May 2022.
Ending the Public Health Emergency for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services April 19, 2023 Blog This policy watch explores the potential implications of ending the PHE for Medicaid HCBS programs.
More Than Half a Million People in the U.S. Are On Waiting Lists for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services, But Waiting Lists Can Both Overstate and Understate Unmet Need November 28, 2022 News Release About 656,000 people across the country were on state waiting lists for home and community-based services financed through Medicaid waivers in 2021, finds a new KFF analysis. But such waiting lists are an incomplete and often inaccurate measure that can both overstate and understate unmet need. The data about waiting…
Ongoing Impacts of the Pandemic on Medicaid Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) Programs: Findings from a 50-State Survey November 28, 2022 Issue Brief This issue brief presents the latest findings on key state policy choices about Medicaid HCBS in 2022 based on the 20th KFF survey of state officials administering Medicaid HCBS programs in all 50 states and DC. The data were collected from April through September 2022. The survey was sent to each state official responsible for overseeing the administration of HCBS benefits (e.g., home health, personal care, and services for specific populations such as people with physical disabilities), but some states submitted responses for the state overall.
How the Pandemic Continues to Shape Medicaid Priorities: Results from an Annual Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023 October 25, 2022 Report This report provides an in-depth examination of the changes taking place in Medicaid programs across the country. The findings are drawn from the 22nd annual budget survey of Medicaid officials conducted by KFF and Health Management Associates (HMA), in collaboration with the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD). This report highlights policies in place in state Medicaid programs in FY 2022 as well as policy changes implemented or planned for FY 2022.