Health Insurance

On February 22, a panel of four experts joined Larry Levitt, KFF’s executive vice president for health policy, for a 45-minute discussion addressing the future of prior authorization requirements in health care. The panel discussed why insurers use prior authorization, its impact on patients and providers, and how the new regulations may change current practices. They also examined the potential for further regulatory or legislative actions to address ongoing concerns.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently shared information on national health expenditures in 2022, highlighting a 4.1% growth in U.S. health care spending to $4.5 trillion. This growth, while faster than the increase of 3.2% in 2021, was notably slower than the substantial increase of 10.6% witnessed in 2020. CMS noted the growth in 2022 reflected strong growth in Medicaid and private health insurance spending that was somewhat offset by continued declines in supplemental funding by the federal government associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact sheet also notes that in 2022, the insured share of the population reached a historic high of 92%...

This infographic provides information on coverage and costs for low-income Medicare beneficiaries. The resource describes people on Medicare, financial needs among beneficiaries, programs supporting low-income beneficiaries, and ways to improve access.

This brief analyzes fifteen structured interviews conducted with leadership staff in states using state-based health insurance marketplaces. It explores the different actions these states may utilize to stabilize the marketplace and reduce consumer confusion in the face of uncertainty regarding federal policies.

This report discusses how state employee health plans are a vehicle that states can use for improving their health care system and moving the commercial market forward on value-based reforms. Currently, in 18 states, state employee plans cover over 10% of the commercial market. State employee health plans have seen success with reference pricing, limited networks, tiering, bundles, and accountable care models.

This report from the National Disability Institute (NDI) studies the prevalence of disability by race, the changing rate of disability by age and race, and the impact of race and disability on educational attainment, employment, banking status, health insurance, medical debt, and food insecurity.