Marketplace enrollees between the ages of 50 and 64 are disproportionately affected by the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits, not just because they make up a large number of Marketplace enrollees, but also because the cost of Marketplace premiums tend to rise with age. Older ACA enrollees with annual incomes just above 400%…
A new study finds that nearly 10% of cancer research papers showed signs of being fabricated by “paper mills”. The problem may intensify as generative AI becomes more sophisticated, prompting lawmakers to demand information about safeguards in place. And, claims that physicians are financially incentivized to promote vaccines persist, despite lack of evidence.
This issue brief describes how Medicaid home care operates—including who is eligible and the systems in place to promote program integrity in its delivery—and the challenges of using new CMS data to identify unusual billing patterns or potential fraud in the program.
Opioid overdose deaths fell sharply from 2023 to 2024 (79,358 to 54,045), driven largely by decreases in fentanyl-involved deaths. Even after these declines, deaths remained above 2019, the year before opioid deaths increased sharply during the pandemic.
Suicide deaths fell slightly from their peak of 49,476 deaths in 2022 to 48,824 deaths in 2024, but trends by suicide method diverged: suicides by other means declined while firearm suicides reached their highest level and accounted for 57% of all suicides (up from 50% in 2014).
Alcohol deaths increased gradually before the pandemic, jumped in 2020 and 2021, and have fallen somewhat since then. Even after these declines, deaths remained above 2019, the year before the pandemic.
In February, the Trump administration launched TrumpRx, a government website that provides prescription drug discounts to consumers. This brief examines issues that may impact consumers, especially those with private insurance, who access drug discounts through TrumpRx.
Health insurance is often complicated, but understanding the basics helps you make better decisions about your coverage and care. This 10-question quiz touches on some terms you may encounter.
Just over 35 million people are enrolled in Medicare Advantage in February 2026, an increase of 1.1 million since a year ago. The increase was largely driven by increased enrollment in special needs plans.
This analysis of trends in health insurers’ financial data shows that insurers’ gross margins per enrollee dipped slightly in 2024 across four markets, remaining highest in the Medicare Advantage market, followed by the individual (non-group) market, the fully insured group (employer) market, and Medicaid managed care. The analysis also examines insurers’ medical-loss ratios across the…