Category: affordability

Gross Medicare Spending on Ozempic and Other GLP-1s Is Already Skyrocketing – Even Though Medicare Cannot Cover The Drugs for Weight Loss

A KFF analysis shows that gross total Medicare spending on Ozempic and other similar drugs has increased dramatically in recent years – even though Medicare is explicitly prohibited by law from covering the drugs for obesity. That’s because Medicare no…

Medicare Spending on Ozempic and Other GLP-1s Is Skyrocketing

This policy watch analyzes the latest data on Medicare Part D spending on GLP-1 drugs, initially approved to treat diabetes but in high demand as treatments for obesity, and shows how spending on these drugs has increased substantially in recent years….

What resources are available for privately insured patients who get surprise balance bills?

Most patients do not know about the new surprise billing protections and likely also do not know of resources available to seek recourse for incorrect medical bills. This brief provides resources to privately insured patients who receive surprise balan…

Medicare Households Spend More on Health Care Than Other Households

This brief examines the financial burden of health care spending among households where all members are covered by Medicare compared to non-Medicare households.

FAQs on Prescription Drug Importation

These FAQs address questions related to prescription drug importation, including the current status of importation proposals, details of Florida’s importation program recently authorized by the FDA, and concerns and challenges with this approach.

People with Medical Debt are Much More Likely to Experience Other Forms of Financial Stress

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 n…

How financially vulnerable are people with medical debt?

This analysis uses government data to examine the burden of medical debt, including variations based on age, race and ethnicity, and health status . It estimates 9% of adults – or roughly 23 million people -owe medical debt, including 11 million who ow…

How Financially Vulnerable are People with Medical Debt?

This analysis of government data finds that people with medical debt are much more likely to have other forms of financial distress than those without medical debt, like having no “rainy day” fund, overdrawing a checking account, or relying on costly l…

The Burden of Medical Debt in the United States

This analysis uses government data to examine the burden of medical debt, including variations based on age, race and ethnicity, and health status . It estimates 9% of adults – or roughly 23 million people -owe medical debt, including 11 million who ow…

Commercialization of COVID-19 Vaccines, Treatments, and Tests: Implications for Access and Coverage

With the depletion of the federal-purchased supply of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and tests following the end of the public health emergency, this resource provides an overview of the implications of these changes for access to people covered by Medi…