KFF

In 2024, 170,449 people in the U.S. died from suicide and/or substance use, an age-adjusted death rate of 47.7 deaths per 100,000 population. Only heart disease and cancer (rates of 157.6 and 139.4, respectively) ranked higher as causes of death that year: on.kff.org/4ykYDjT

2.3 million direct care workers provide long-term care in the U.S. — 66% in home care settings, 22% in nursing homes, and 12% in residential care facilities. Recent federal policy changes could exacerbate the challenge of retaining and growing the workforce: on.kff.org/3SPqKaJ

Join KFF on July 21 at 12:30 p.m. ET for a live conversation with leading health policy experts for a discussion exploring: • How to define and measure affordability • Who is most affected by rising costs • What can be done to address health care costs 🔗: on.kff.org/3R8sWtq

Our analysis estimates how much insurers will pay out this year in Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rebates to individuals and employers as required by an ACA provision. Learn more about how those rebates work: on.kff.org/4aS5tDr

@Peterson_HTI and @PetersonCHealth's Executive Director Caroline Pearson and host @chipkahn dig into whether AI can deliver better care and real savings, or simply more activity — and how incentives and policy decide which way it breaks. 🎧 Listen to the full interview: on.kff.org/4faJeLD

There is fraud in private insurance and government health programs, including the ACA. That doesn't negate the fact that many people have lost insurance this year after the expiration of enhanced premium subsidies. These are real people showing up in news reports and our surveys.

Immigrants make up 30% of the U.S. direct care workforce, including 33% of home care workers. New analysis finds immigration policy changes could worsen staffing shortages for long-term care services for older adults and people with disabilities: on.kff.org/3SPqKaJ

At least one in five immigrant direct care workers is from a country that is part of the Trump administration’s immigrant visa pause that impacts 75 countries. While the immigrant visa pause is facing a court challenge, it currently remains in effect: on.kff.org/3SPqKaJ

The ACA has been criticized for not living up to its name, but has it actually failed on affordability? The answer is complicated and consequential. KFF’s @cynthiaccox looks at the ACA's record and how expiring enhanced premium tax credits put a spotlight on health care costs beyond the Marketplace 🎥

Evaluations of Medicaid SUD IMD waivers in 6 states show gains in residential & inpatient SUD treatment, growth in community-based care, and lower SUD-related emergency department use. Workforce shortages, administrative barriers and other challenges remain: on.kff.org/4vmXy8i

38 states (including D.C.) have approved Medicaid SUD IMD waivers to cover short-term residential and inpatient substance use disorder treatment. Early evaluations in 6 states find the waivers expanded access to treatment and medications for opioid use disorder: on.kff.org/4vmXy8i

Insurers estimate they will pay out $759 million in Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) rebates this year to select individuals and employers that purchase their health coverage across all commercial markets, less than in recent years. Our analysis explains: on.kff.org/4aS5tDr

With many older adults already using digital health tools, a new KFF brief describes CMS efforts to expand their use in Medicare: the new Medicare App Library, the ACCESS Model for technology-enabled care, and Medicare Plan Finder changes. Learn more: on.kff.org/4h8sllM

Heading into the 2026 midterms, KFF’s polls show health care affordability is a top issue for voters. Why and how did care get so expensive? In case you missed it: KFF’s new three-part video series looks at rising U.S. health spending from macro drivers to the pressures on everyday Americans. on.kff.org/healthcosts-yt

I have some ideas about potential story lines from Trump era health care cuts for the next season of the Pitt. jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-…

What we’re watching: 🤖 AI chatbots matched, but didn’t outperform, public health materials in encouraging HPV vaccination. 🧬 FDA advisory panel recommends first mRNA flu vaccine, though public uncertainty about the technology persists. More in The Monitor: on.kff.org/44ESO3j

The Monitor examines our latest analysis of data from our tracking poll, looking at patterns of belief across vaccine myths and showing which adults are consistent myth believers, consistent myth deniers, and those who fall in the “mixed middle.” on.kff.org/44ESO3j

The U.S. spends more on health care than other large wealthy nations — and costs keep climbing. KFF’s @larry_levitt explains how we got here, who bears the consequences, and why reining in spending systematically may be central to the next big health care debate 🎥

Heading into the 2026 midterms, KFF’s polls show health care affordability is a top issue for voters. Why and how did care get so expensive? KFF’s new three-part video series looks at rising U.S. health spending from macro drivers to the pressures on everyday Americans. 🎥 on.kff.org/healthcosts

In preliminary rate filings in 16 states and DC, ACA Marketplace insurers are largely proposing a double-digit premium increase for 2027, following a steep climb in premiums this year: on.kff.org/4fpMB13