Category: Kaiser Family Foundation

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.

Charges for Emails with Doctors and other Healthcare Providers

Patient-provider email messaging accelerated early in the COVID-19 pandemic as more patients sought medical care remotely, and the addition of billing codes for digital health services and subsequent changes in insurers’ payment policies have enabled p…

What to Know About How Medicare Pays Physicians

In November 2024, CMS finalized a 2.83% decrease in the physician fee schedule conversion factor, a key aspect of payment rates under the Medicare program, resulting in a 2.93% decrease in overall payments to physicians and other clinicians. Congress h…

Three Charts: The Cost and Coverage of Opill—the First FDA-approved Over-the-Counter Daily Oral Contraceptive Pill in the United States 

The first FDA-approved over-the-counter daily oral contraceptive pill in the United States— Perrigo’s Opill— is now available for pre-order at major online retailers and will soon be available in stores. Although the new over-the-counter pill could bro…

3 Charts: The Cost and Coverage of Opill—the First FDA-approved Over-the-Counter Daily Oral Contraceptive Pill in the United States 

The first FDA-approved over-the-counter daily oral contraceptive pill in the United States— Perrigo’s Opill— is now available for pre-order at major online retailers and will soon be available in stores. Although the new over-the-counter pill could bro…

KFF Health Tracking Poll February 2024: Voters on Two Key Health Care Issues: Affordability and ACA

This poll finds that inflation and health care affordability are the top issues voters want 2024 presidential candidates to discuss, as most rate the economy negatively. Adults worry most about affording unexpected medical bills and health care costs, …

KFF Health Tracking Poll: Economic Views and Experiences of Adults Who Struggle Financially

Half of adults say they have difficulty affording monthly bills or are just able to afford household expenses without having money left over. These groups overwhelmingly rate the economy negatively and are more likely to want 2024 presidential candidat…

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

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 pre…