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Open enrollment for Medicare Part D drug coverage begins October 15.

One challenge with taxing employers based on the number of workers they have receiving Medicaid is that at least some of that tax burden will fall on the low-income workers themselves.

The Trump admin is in court *today* defending its new rule requiring Medicaid patients with cancer and other chronic illnesses to prove they're too sick to work to maintain their insurance. 25 states and DC are asking a judge to block the rule. www.politico.com/news/2026/07...

ACA enrollment has dropped in every state, except New Mexico. What's special about New Mexico? They are the only state to fully replace the extra federal premium subsidies that ended this year. www.kff.org/affordable-c...

New: With enhanced ACA premium subsidies expired and Medicaid cuts phasing in, the Congressional Budget Office expects the share of the population uninsured to rise above 10% for the first time since the ACA was implemented. www.cbo.gov/publication/...

A story from our news operation about patients getting caught up in errors in Medicaid computer systems, operated by a private contractor. This is a symptom of a health insurance system that has become mind-numbingly complex.

"but taxes would go up!" ok but premiums would go down even more

I see lots of mentions of the cost of Medicare for All. But, it actually wouldn't necessarily increase health spending, and could actually decrease it. What it would do -- which would be controversial -- is redistribute health care spending from premiums and out-of-pocket costs to taxes.

New white paper from myself + colleagues: Implementation of Medicaid Work Requirements: Key Design Considerations and Strategies to Minimize Avoidable Coverage Loss hsph.me/Medicaid-Wor... We synthesize evidence in the peer-reviewed and gray literature to identify key lessons + recommendations

The public outcry over high drug prices overshadows what’s happening in hospitals, which account for 40% of of the growth in national health spending from 2022 to 2024. @larrylevitt.bsky.social explores the reasons and implication in @jamahealthforum.com: https://on.kff.org/3T945pQ

High drug prices are in the public spotlight more than hospital prices, even though hospitals account for a much larger share of national health spending. @larrylevitt.bsky.social examines 4 reasons why in his latest @jamahealthforum.com column: https://on.kff.org/3T945pQ

Even though the US spends more per person on health care relative to other high-income countries, it is not because individuals in the US use more health care…Higher health care spending in the US compared with other countries is due to higher prices

Why is there a whole lot more talk about drug prices than hospital prices? Paraphrasing bank robber Willie Sutton: If we want to restrain health spending, we have to go where the money is -- hospitals. @jama.com jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

New: Voters are more likely to think there's a lot of fraud in the tax system, defense contracts, and foreign aid than in health programs. They perceive the least fraud in the ACA Marketplaces. www.kff.org/public-opini...

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.

However, I do think the ACA is in something of a doom loop. Critics opposed extending enhanced premium subsidies, so out-of-pocket premiums skyrocketed, people dropped coverage, and insurers raised premiums. Then, critics suggest the ACA is failing.

The ACA is not in a death spiral. Enrollment is down by 3 million after Congress did not extend enhanced premium subsidies. And, insurers are raising premiums as healthier people drop coverage. But, the original ACA premium subsidies remain, cushioning against these changes.

The U.S. spends more on health care than other large wealthy nations — and costs keep climbing. KFF’s @larrylevitt.bsky.social 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 polls show health care affordability is a top issue for voters. Why & 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. 🎥 https://on.kff.org/healthcosts

ACA premiums are increasing for two main reasons: 1. Underlying health care costs are going up. 2. With Congress allowing enhanced premium assistance to expire, enrollment is dropping, especially among healthier than average people.