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Right here’s a glance again at 10 problems KFF tracked carefully this yr with a few of our best findings summarized:
Well being care prices proceed to be a burden for lots of American citizens: From our data appearing that circle of relatives medical insurance premiums for employer protection rose 7% to nearly $24,000 this yr—and become unaffordable for lots of employees at small employers — to our sequence on “Dying Broke” serious about how older American citizens combat to pay for long-term care—the well being care affordability disaster continues to plague American citizens and stay a best issue going into the 2024 election. And, whilst anti-obesity medication captured numerous consideration, protection, price, and get right of entry to is unclear. Greater than 100 million other people in The us—41% of adults—have clinical expenses they can’t pay.
Get admission to to Abortion and birth control remained best issues for electorate following the Splendid Courtroom’s choice to overturn Roe v. Wade final yr. We tracked state abortion insurance policies and litigation during the yr, and in addition explored the right to contraception around the U.S. Our newsroom dove into how the problem is enjoying out nationally and in the states. Abortion additionally performed a task in Congressional discussions about reauthorizing PEPFAR, the U.S.’ signature program to supply HIV prevention and remedy services and products to tens of millions, saving greater than 25 million lives over twenty years.
Medicaid enrollment started to dip, with additional drops anticipated. Our annual survey of state Medicaid administrators discovered that states be expecting nationwide Medicaid enrollment will decline through 8.6% in state fiscal yr 2024 as state Medicaid companies proceed to unwind pandemic-related steady enrollment protections. As of Dec. 13, greater than 12 million other people had been disenrolled from Medicaid because of unwinding. Some due to this fact regained protection, so the web enrollment decline shall be decrease. On the identical time, North Carolina simply this month expanded their Medicaid systems to hide low-income adults, becoming a member of 39 different states and the District of Columbia.
Medicare drug worth negotiations started, which have been approved as a part of final yr’s Inflation Relief Act, however with vital debate through the drug business. Medicare open enrollment concluded on Dec. 7, and we heard from Medicare beneficiaries about their perspectives on advertising practices, on the lookout for choices, and their protection. Many seniors let their plans renew automatically.
Covid used to be nonetheless a factor however American citizens started to fret much less concerning the pandemic, and their probabilities of getting ill, as our COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor confirmed. Hobby in getting the newest booster waned although maximum Black and Hispanic adults anticipated to get it whilst maximum White adults didn’t. Plus, following the top of the general public well being emergency declaration in Would possibly, discovering a booster and paying for it used to be complicated for lots of, prompting a “cheat sheet” to lend a hand determine it out.
Incorrect information endured to be prevalent throughout well being problems, and KFF found that a minimum of four-in-10 other people say they’ve heard each and every of 10 explicit false claims however rather few consider the ones claims are for sure true. Maximum are merely uncertainty, which creates a “muddled middle,” that may be reached with dependable knowledge from relied on assets, corresponding to medical doctors and native tv information.
Advancing well being fairness stays a best factor for well being coverage professionals and researchers. New survey research from KFF confirmed that six-in-10 Black adults, about part of American Indian and Alaska Local and Hispanic adults, and four-in-10 Asian adults say they get ready for imaginable insults from suppliers or workforce and/or really feel they should be very cautious about their look to be handled rather right through well being care visits a minimum of one of the time. KFF Well being Information additionally endured its coverage of ways well being results range in line with race and ethnicity.
The whole lot previous is new once more? And, to near out the yr, we heard from former President Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), that they wish to substitute or modify the Inexpensive Care Act (ACA). KFF’s polling displays that American citizens extensively reinforce the ACA, with greater than two times the proportion of Democratic electorate (70%) than Republican electorate (32%) pronouncing it’s a vital factor for the applicants to speak about. Plus, there’s been record enrollment within the ACA market this yr. KFF Well being Information explored the problems in its “What the Well being” podcast episode and in its abstract of connected media coverage.
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