What the Data Show: Abortions Later in Pregnancy February 21, 2024 News Release Following recent news about former President Trump’s potential support for a national 16-week abortion ban, KFF examines the data about how often abortions later in pregnancy occur, exploring the potential reasons why, and detailing the various laws that regulate access to abortions later in pregnancy. The updated analysis considers 2021…
Health Care Costs Top the Public’s List of Financial Worries, and Those Who Are Struggling the Most Want to Hear Presidential Candidates Discuss Economic and Health Care Issues February 21, 2024 News Release At a time when kitchen table economic problems are on voters’ minds, unexpected medical bills and health care costs top the public’s list of financial concerns, and voters who are struggling to pay their monthly bills are the most eager to hear the presidential candidates talk about economic and health…
KFF Health News and CBS News Win 2023 George Polk Award for Medical Reporting February 19, 2024 News Release KFF Health News won the 2023 George Polk Award for Medical Journalism for its year-long investigation with CBS News into the failure of FDA-approved medical devices that were suspected of contributing to thousands of injuries and patient deaths. The George Polk Awards were established in 1949 by Long Island University…
Few Nursing Facility Residents and Staff Have Gotten the Latest COVID-19 Vaccines February 13, 2024 News Release Fewer nursing facility residents and staff are getting COVID-19 vaccines, according to a new KFF analysis of federal data. Only 38% of residents and 15% of staff have received the latest vaccine. In comparison, 50% of residents and 22% of staff received updated vaccines in 2022 and 87% of residents…
People with Medical Debt are Much More Likely to Experience Other Forms of Financial Stress February 12, 2024 News Release People with medical debt are much more likely than those without such debt to show other signs of financial vulnerability, like having no “rainy day” fund, overdrawing a checking account, or relying on costly loans, according to a new KFF analysis of national survey data. Medical debt remains a significant…
New $2,000 Medicare Part D Cap Could Reduce Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs for Over One Million Beneficiaries Beginning Next Year, Including Tens of Thousands of Beneficiaries in Most States February 8, 2024 News Release A KFF analysis shows that a new out-of-pocket spending cap in Medicare Part D could translate into savings for well over 1 million beneficiaries when it takes effect next year, including more than 100,000 people each in California, Florida and Texas, based on analyses of drug spending in 2021. The…
3 Charts: Drug Prices in the United States February 7, 2024 News Release This post was updated to clarify that less than 10% of the nation’s total health spending is spent on retail prescription drugs and does not include spending on drugs administrated by physicians or in hospitals.Prescription drug costs are a top concern for the American public. While retail prescription drugs represent…
Roughly 1 in 5 Adolescents Report Experiencing Symptoms of Anxiety or Depression February 6, 2024 News Release About 1 in 5 adolescents report symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to a KFF analysis of a new federal survey of teen health. While some teens are getting mental health care, a significant share say they are not receiving the therapy they need due to costs, fear of what…
Low Incomes, Little Savings: Many Medicare Beneficiaries Have Modest Financial Resources to Draw Upon in Retirement February 5, 2024 News Release A new KFF analysis shows that most Medicare beneficiaries live on relatively low incomes and have modest financial resources for retirement – posing a risk to their economic well-being, particularly if they were to have a major, unanticipated expense, such as a need for long-term nursing home care. The financial…
3 Charts: Medicare Drug Price Negotiations January 31, 2024 News Release Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the federal government for the first time will negotiate directly with drug companies to determine the prices that Medicare will pay for certain high expenditure drugs covered under Medicare Part D (starting in 2026) and Part B (starting in 2028). Part D covers retail prescription…