In this JAMA Health Forum column, Larry Levitt highlights how the Make America Healthy Again agenda aimed at chronic disease does little to address the affordability of health care and that efforts to lower federal spending on health care may worsen the problem, raising out-of-pocket costs for many people with Medicaid and Affordable Care Act…More
The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) latest estimate shows that the One Big Beautiful Bill would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $793 and that the Medicaid provisions would increase the number of uninsured people by 7.8 million. Previous CBO estimates show that 10.3 million fewer people would be enrolled in Medicaid in 2034. Building on prior…
This brief highlights some of the key federal agencies and offices that play a role in making Medicare work and, to the extent possible, describes the recent staffing and organizational changes made by the Trump administration that could affect the operations of Medicare in the future.
On May 30, 2025, the administration released additional details of its Fiscal Year 2026 budget request, including more specific information on funding for global health activities at the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The proposed budget includes significant…More
This brief describes four key federal vaccine advisory committees and discusses policy issues and questions they currently face. The four committees are the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the…
Every summer, health insurers submit rate filings to state regulators detailing expectations and justifying premium rate changes for ACA-regulated health plans for the coming year. With the enhanced premium tax credits set to expire at the end of 2025, consumers can expect increases in how much they pay for coverage. KFF examines 23 early insurer…More
Through regulations and the House budget reconciliation bill, significant changes are being considered by Congress and the Trump Administration for how the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance Marketplaces would work. At the same time, the enhanced tax credits that have made Marketplace coverage more affordable and driven record enrollment are set to expire at the…More
This tracker provides a listing of global health-related legislation introduced in the current Congress.
The Trump administration is proposing a reorganization and staffing cuts at HHS that create uncertainty about the potential effects on older adults, who receive services authorized under the Older Americans Act. This brief provides an overview of programs and services provided under the Older Americans Act, the role played by the Administration for Community Living…
The House of Representatives recently passed a budget reconciliation bill that would appropriate funding for cost-sharing reductions that insurers are required to provide to low-income enrollees in the Affordable Care Act marketplace. This brief explains what these cost-sharing reductions are, how they relate to federal spending, and what effect appropriating funding might have on premiums…