Despite Efforts to Prevent Out-of-Pocket Costs for Rape Kits and Services by the Violence Against Women Act, Some Women Still Face Charges March 18, 2022 News Release In the United States, more than one in three women experience sexual violence in their lifetime. Despite the intent of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to protect survivors from out-of-pocket spending stemming from rape kit collection services also known as a medical forensic exam (MFE), many women face health care…
States Are Planning for the End of the Continuous Enrollment Requirement in Medicaid After the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Expires, But Many Have Not Made Key Decisions March 16, 2022 News Release As states plan for the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the resumption of eligibility redeterminations and disenrollments when the continuous Medicaid enrollment requirement is lifted could lead to coverage disruptions and losses, according to a new KFF 50-state survey. The requirement, a condition of states receiving enhanced federal…
Telehealth Continues to Account for More Than a Third of Outpatient Visits for Mental Health and Substance Use Services Well into the COVID-19 Pandemic March 15, 2022 News Release A new analysis from KFF and Epic Research finds that telehealth visits for outpatient mental health and substance use services went from virtually zero percent in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to a peak of 40% in mid-2020 – and continued to account for more than a third (36%)…
1 in 10 Adults Owe Medical Debt, With Millions Owing More Than $10,000 March 10, 2022 News Release Americans Likely Owe Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in Total Medical Debt A new KFF analysis of government data estimates that nearly 1 in 10 adults (9%) – or roughly 23 million people – owe medical debt. This includes 11 million who owe more than $2,000 and 3 million people…
4 in 10 Workers – and 6 in 10 of Those with Low Incomes – Say They Missed Work During the Omicron Surge Due to COVID-19 Illness, Quarantine or Closure March 10, 2022 News Release The surge in COVID-19 cases triggered by the omicron variant led to widespread work disruptions, with about 4 in 10 workers (42%) – including 6 in 10 of those with lower incomes – saying they had to miss work at least once in the past three months because of a…
Rethinking the Use of Race in Medicine March 8, 2022 News Release The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a spotlight on racial disparities in health and health care, but disparities are hardly new. They have been driven by longstanding inequities within and beyond the health care system that are rooted in racism. KFF Vice President Samantha Artiga, who directs the Racial Equity and…
Combined Federal and State Spending on Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Totaled $116 billion in FY 2020, Serving Millions of Elderly Adults and People with Disabilities March 4, 2022 News Release The federal government and the states together spent a total of $116 billion on Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) in FY 2020, serving millions of elderly adults and people with disabilities, a new KFF analysis finds. Medicaid is the nation’s primary payer for such services, which include assistive technology,…
Large Shares of the Public Worry about the Consequences of Both Ending and Keeping COVID-19 Restrictions, with Partisans Largely Split on Which Direction is Most Concerning March 1, 2022 News Release As federal, state, and local authorities move to roll back COVID-19 restrictions, a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey finds many people ready to get back to normal but a public also nervous about the potential consequences. Large shares of the public are worried about the implications of both keeping…
New KFF Analyses on Women and Medicaid: State Family Planning Benefits and Contraceptive Provision February 17, 2022 News Release Medicaid, the state and federal health coverage program for low-income people, finances family planning services for millions of women across the nation. National statistics, however, can mask important state-level Medicaid policy and utilization differences. Two new KFF state-level analyses have just been posted that provide up-to-date coverage policies and practices…
Analysis Finds The Share of Nursing Home Staff Who Have Been Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Varies Substantially by State February 17, 2022 News Release The share of nursing home staffers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 varies considerably by state, from 70 percent in Ohio to 99 percent in Maine, Rhode Island, New York and Massachusetts, a new KFF analysis finds. The national average is 84 percent. The analysis of federal nursing home…
