This policy watch provides a short overview of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), describing its history, budget, organizational structure and its major programs and responsibilities.
Category: Kaiser Family Foundation
KFF Health Tracking Poll: Public Weighs Health Care Spending and Other Priorities for Incoming Administration
With the incoming Trump administration and Republican-led Congress looking to ways to reduce federal spending, this Poll finds that the Medicare and Medicaid programs remain broadly popular, and more people favor more spending on those programs than le…
As Congress Looks to Reduce Federal Spending, Medicare and Medicaid Remain Broadly Popular, and At Least Twice as Many People Want to Increase Spending Rather Than Cut It
With the incoming Trump administration and Republican-led Congress looking to ways to reduce federal spending, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that the Medicare and Medicaid programs remain broadly popular, and more people favor more spending on t…
How has U.S. Spending on Health Care Changed Over Time?
This slideshow examines trends in U.S. health spending over time, including the share of household budgets devoted to health expenses and comparisons of out-of-pocket expenditures to money spent on insurance through 2021.
How Medicare Negotiated Drug Prices Compare to Other Countries
This analysis finds that Medicare’s negotiated prices for 10 high-expenditure prescription drugs are lower than what private Medicare drug plans had been paying, but still much higher than the prices available in 11 other wealthy nations.. It is availa…
Hospital Margins Rebounded in 2023, But Rural Hospitals and Those With High Medicaid Shares Were Struggling More Than Others
This data note examines trends in hospital margins from 2018 through 2023 and how operating margins varied across different types of hospitals in 2023. It shows the industry overall experienced a rebound in 2023 after margins fell sharply the previous …
Proposed Coverage of Anti-Obesity Drugs in Medicare and Medicaid Would Expand Access to Millions of People with Obesity
This policy watch examines the implications of new proposed regulations that would allow Medicare and require Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity, including a relatively new class of highly effective but costly drugs known as GLP-1s.
The Role Health Care Issues Played in the 2024 Election: An Analysis of AP VoteCast
KFF’s analysis of KFF/AP VoteCast supplemental questions shows how abortion, abortion-related ballot measures, and other health care issues influenced the 2024 election.
How Much More Would People Pay in Premiums if the ACA’s Enhanced Subsidies Expired?
Enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies lower premium payments for ACA Marketplace coverage by boosting existing ACA subsidies and making some people newly eligible. Enrollees across incomes benefit from these subsidies. For example, low-income en…
Ten Things to Watch for 2025 ACA Open Enrollment
This blog post details ten things to know about the 2025 open enrollment period.
