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Health insurance is a type of insurance coverage that pays for medical and surgical expenses that are incurred by the insured. Health insurance can reimburse the insured for expenses incurred from illness or injury, or pay the care provider directly. It is often included in employer benefit packages as a means of enticing quality employees. The cost of health insurance premiums is deductible to the payer, and benefits received are tax-free. Health insurance can be purchased through many different sources. Private health insurance plans are typically purchased through a broker, an insurance company, or an employer. Public health insurance plans are provided by the government, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Some employers provide health insurance as an employee benefit. Health insurance plans typically cover a portion of the costs of doctor’s visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs, and other medical expenses. Most plans also have limits on the amount of coverage they will provide. Out-of-pocket expenses, such as co-pays and deductibles, may still be the responsibility of the insured. When searching for health insurance, it is important to compare plans to ensure that you are getting the best coverage for your needs and budget. Questions to consider include the types of services covered, deductibles, co-pays,
A new retrospective study of children’s health care coverage found that roughly 1 in 5 children did not have adequate health insurance, meaning coverage that met their needs and was reasonably affordable. Researchers from Columbia University, the University of Michigan and Vanderbilt University conducted a study of children’s health insurance coverage between 2016 and 2021.…
This brief gauges Medicaid enrollees’ perspectives on their health insurance, based on findings from KFF’s Survey of Consumer Experiences with Health Insurance, fielded February 21 through March 14, 2023. This brief provides an overview of the survey findings, describes Medicaid enrollees’ views of their health and health coverage, explores problems those with Medicaid experience, compares how Medicaid performs relative to Medicare and private coverage, and reviews variation in Medicaid experiences.
A higher share of Medicaid beneficiaries rate their physical and mental health as fair or poor compared to adults with Medicare, employer-sponsored insurance or Marketplace coverage, according to a new KFF report. However, 83% of Medicaid enrollees gave their health insurance a positive rating.
In his Beyond the Data column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman discusses how how family health coverage is no longer affordable for workers at small employers, contributing to the health cost crisis affecting the American people.
With federal regulators seeking public input on the potential benefits, costs, and implementation considerations of requiring private health insurance plans to cover over-the-counter preventive products without a prescription, a new KFF post explores the issues relevant to covering over-the-counter contraceptives. These contraceptives include Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive pill to receive FDA approval for<span class="readmore-ellipsis">…</span><a href="https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/press-release/kff-examines-key-considerations-for-the-implementation-of-insurance-coverage-for-over-the-counter-contraceptives/" class="see-more light-beige no-float inline-readmore">More</a></p>
In October 2023, the Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services issued a request for information to gather public input about the potential benefits, costs, and implementation considerations of requiring private health insurance plans to cover OTC preventive services and supplies without a prescription. This policy watch addresses key considerations for the implementation of insurance coverage for non-prescribed OTC contraceptives based on the lessons learned from KFF’s 2023 study of Insurance Coverage of OTC Oral Contraceptives.