Health Insurance Costs, Health Care & Health Care Services - Research, Public Opinion, Facts & Analysis

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2007 Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Benefits Survey
This annual survey of employers provides a detailed look at trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, including changes in premiums, employee contributions, cost-sharing policies and other relevant information.

How Private Health Coverage Works
This primer explains the role and operations of private health coverage in the United States. It discusses the fundamental aims of private coverage and sorts out the complicated web of state and federal regulations that govern it.

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Health Reform Resources on health08.org -- July 2008
A collection of resources on health reform issues from the Kaiser Family Foundation

Tax Subsidies for Health Insurance -- July 2008
With policymakers debating potential changes to the tax treatment of health insurance benefit, this issue brief illustrates how families with different incomes are affected by the tax subsidies for private health insurance included in current law.

Pulling It Together: Moving Away From Employer Based Coverage: Don't Forget Public Opinion -- June 2008
In the latest essay from the series "Pulling It Together, from Drew Altman," the Foundation’s President and CEO explores one factor important for the success of any proposal moving away from employment-based health insurance that has not received much attention to date—the public’s willingness to accept such a big change. These public attitudes are examined in the context of very different proposals to move away from an employment-based insurance system offered by both liberals and conservatives.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 – June 2008 -- June 2008
The June Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 poll finds most Americans reporting one of seven major financial issues as a result of the recent economic downturn. Not surprisingly, with gas prices topping $4 per gallon nationally, people are most likely to cite paying for gas as a serious problem, followed by getting a well-paying job or a raise and paying for health care costs. The poll also examines Americans' views and opinions about health care costs and reforms.

Testimony: State-Based Health Reform Efforts -- June 2008
Gary Claxton, a Kaiser Family Foundation vice president, testified about state-based health reform efforts as part of the Senate Finance Committee's Prepare For Launch Health Reform Summit. His testimony examines the role of Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, as well as the way various federal laws and policies may limit innovation at the state level.

Medicare Health & Prescription Drug Plan Tracker -- June 2008
The interactive resource provides local, regional and national information about Medicare Advantage plans, as well as current information on stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans. The tool allows users to graph or map comparative and trend data about enrollment, plan participation and other key information.

Health Insurance Coverage in America Chartbook, 2006 -- June 2008
This chartbook has been reformatted as a web-based information resource including charts and tables to provide a more comprehensive profile of the uninsured population and health insurance coverage more generally.

Kaiser Fast Facts -- May 2008
“Kaiser Fast Facts” features “QuickTakes” and “Kaiser Slides” – two tools that provide direct access to facts, data and slides about the nation's health care system and programs, in an easy-to-use format. “QuickTakes” presents an inventory of facts-at-a-glance and "Kaiser Slides" allows Web visitors to freely view, download and print graphics and tables of health policy statistics and trends.

Public Views on Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising -- May 2008
Mollyann Brodie, Kaiser vice president and director of Public Opinion and Media Research, testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about the public's views of prescription drugs, the pharmaceutical industry, and direct-to-consumer drug advertising.

Public and Physician Views of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising -- May 2008
This spotlight examines the public's familiarity with prescription drug advertising, their general opinions of these ads, and their experiences talking to doctors about drugs they saw advertised. It also explores these topics from the doctors’ point of view. The spotlight compiles and analyzes public opinion data from Kaiser surveys and other sources.

A collection of resources on health reform issues from the Kaiser Family Foundation

With policymakers debating potential changes to the tax treatment of health insurance benefit, this issue brief illustrates how families with different incomes are affected by the tax subsidies for private health insurance included in current law.

In the latest essay from the series "Pulling It Together, from Drew Altman," the Foundation’s President and CEO explores one factor important for the success of any proposal moving away from employment-based health insurance that has not received much attention to date—the public’s willingness to accept such a big change. These public attitudes are examined in the context of very different proposals to move away from an employment-based insurance system offered by both liberals and conservatives.

The June Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008 poll finds most Americans reporting one of seven major financial issues as a result of the recent economic downturn. Not surprisingly, with gas prices topping $4 per gallon nationally, people are most likely to cite paying for gas as a serious problem, followed by getting a well-paying job or a raise and paying for health care costs. The poll also examines Americans' views and opinions about health care costs and reforms.

Gary Claxton, a Kaiser Family Foundation vice president, testified about state-based health reform efforts as part of the Senate Finance Committee's Prepare For Launch Health Reform Summit. His testimony examines the role of Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, as well as the way various federal laws and policies may limit innovation at the state level.

The interactive resource provides local, regional and national information about Medicare Advantage plans, as well as current information on stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans. The tool allows users to graph or map comparative and trend data about enrollment, plan participation and other key information.

This chartbook has been reformatted as a web-based information resource including charts and tables to provide a more comprehensive profile of the uninsured population and health insurance coverage more generally.

“Kaiser Fast Facts” features “QuickTakes” and “Kaiser Slides” – two tools that provide direct access to facts, data and slides about the nation's health care system and programs, in an easy-to-use format. “QuickTakes” presents an inventory of facts-at-a-glance and "Kaiser Slides" allows Web visitors to freely view, download and print graphics and tables of health policy statistics and trends.

Mollyann Brodie, Kaiser vice president and director of Public Opinion and Media Research, testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about the public's views of prescription drugs, the pharmaceutical industry, and direct-to-consumer drug advertising.

This spotlight examines the public's familiarity with prescription drug advertising, their general opinions of these ads, and their experiences talking to doctors about drugs they saw advertised. It also explores these topics from the doctors’ point of view. The spotlight compiles and analyzes public opinion data from Kaiser surveys and other sources.

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Health Insurance/Costs

Americans receive their health care coverage from a variety of sources including private insurance provided through their employment or purchased on their own, and public insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. About 160 million nonelderly Americans have employer-sponsored health insurance, and another 13 million purchase insurance directly from an insurer or HMO. Spending for health care services continues to rise, in total ($1.4 trillion in 2001; $3.1 trillion projected for 2012) and as a share of the country’s gross national product (14.1% in 2001; 17.7% projected for 2012).

Premium costs for people with private insurance have risen dramatically in recent years, with double-digit rate increases each of the first three years of the new millennium. At the same time, consumers have seen their out-of-pocket costs for deductibles, copayments, and other cost sharing rise significantly over the same period. While coverage availability has declined only modestly for those with job-based coverage, a slack economy and high unemployment have focused attention on access and cost issues faced by consumers seeking individual coverage. Coverage and cost issues have led to debate about how to control increases in health care costs and how to provide coverage for the uninsured.

Through its Health Care Marketplace Project, the Foundation provides information and analysis about issues and trends in health insurance, health care costs, and health care services. Descriptions of how the private health insurance market operates and how it is regulated are provided in a series of fact sheets, chart packs, and reports. Data from the annual KFF/HRET employer health benefit survey documents annual changes in the costs, availability, and benefits of job-based coverage. Information on insurance issues of importance to consumers, such as appeal rights and other consumer protections, is provided through reports and surveys. The Foundation also provides information on trends in health care costs and how these costs affect individuals and employers.