KFF

New data from KFF’s July Health Tracking Poll shows a striking knowledge gap: most Americans are unsure whether mifepristone, the abortion pill, is safe, and many don't realize medication abortion is now the most common method of abortion in the U.S. This comes as groups opposed to abortion cite a heavily criticized study to argue the drug should be classified as a water contaminant — despite flawed methodology and no solid evidence of environmental harm. Dig into this week’s edition of The Monitor. https://on.kff.org/3Sah0aQ

On the Health Care Rounds Podcast, KFF’s Larry Levitt discusses the health care system’s focus on short-term costs at the expense of long-term savings. Listen to the full episode for more on health cost concerns in the U.S.: https://bit.ly/3TUN5nM

More people get health coverage through an employer than from any other source. That's more than 154 million Americans under 65. Costly premiums and high deductibles are straining workers and employers. KFF polls show the cost of health care is a top economic worry for voters going into the midterms. The total annual cost for a family plan, including both worker and employer premium contributions, has been steadily rising, now averaging about $27,000 a year. Up 26% from five years before. That's enough to buy a new Toyota Corolla Hybrid. Every. Single. Year. Employers cover most of that cost, but the out-of-pocket payments for employees add up. Workers contributed on average $6,850 towards the cost of a family premium in 2025. And, $1,440 for single coverage. And those payments are just the starting cost. Most workers also have a deductible that must be met before insurance starts paying for most services. Workers at smaller companies, those with fewer than 200 employees, typically face higher out-of-pocket deductibles than those at larger companies. For more about trends in employer-sponsored health insurance coverage, check out KFF's annual survey of private and non-federal public employers on KFF.org.

How much can the new executive order on federal vaccine guidance shift U.S. vaccine policy? Perhaps not much, given ongoing legal challenges to the administration’s vaccine actions and declining influence of federal recommendations on states vaccine policy decisions. Still, KFF experts explain that it could: • Sow further confusion among parents already distrustful of federal guidance; • Serve to exacerbate the existing partisan divide in the U.S. on vaccine policy; and • Prove to be unpopular. Full report: https://on.kff.org/4wPY93Z

The Trump Administration has prioritized limiting gender-affirming care for young people, most recently through a new final rule prohibiting federal Medicaid funds from covering core services. It is not a blanket ban on gender-affirming care and expressly permits states to use state-only funds to cover these services but will likely limit access for young low-income transgender people.  Our new analysis explores the rule and what is at stake: https://lnkd.in/e-c3jK9Z

The new federal vaccine recommendation executive order directs the HHS Secretary to offer the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine as separate shots. KFF analysis finds that when countries have moved away from combination MMR vaccinations in the past, such as Japan beginning in the 1990s, measles, mumps, rubella outbreaks increased — a sobering prospect given the U.S. is already facing a historically high and growing number of measles cases this year. https://on.kff.org/4wPY93Z

In a new policy watch, KFF experts examine the implications of the executive order on federal vaccine recommendations released by the White House yesterday. While the order reiterates previously issued recommendations, it also contains new directives. The administration has indicated these actions are intended to align the U.S. with peer countries, but KFF analysis shows that the directive to split the MMR vaccine into separate shots would actually cause the U.S. to diverge from the policies of peer, developed nations. https://on.kff.org/4wPY93Z

Health care is 18% of U.S. GDP, the number one affordability concern for consumers, and the single biggest line item employers are trying to manage. Every major policy fight in American health care, at its core, comes down to money and who bears the cost. Larry Levitt, incoming CEO of KFF and one of the most trusted nonpartisan voices in health policy, joins host John Marchica to examine why value-based care has yet to deliver on its promise, and why a deepening public distrust in science and health institutions may be the most dangerous obstacle standing between the U.S. and any meaningful reform. Check out the full episode here 🎧📲: https://lnkd.in/ewR64ryw #healthcare #healthcarepodcast #healthcarereform #healthcareinnovation #digitalhealth #healthcareaffordability #medicaid #affordablecareact #healtheconomics #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #misinformation #healthcarebusiness #healthcarestrategy

Earlier this week, the FDA approved the first-ever mRNA flu vaccine for adults 50 and older, following a trial of roughly 40,000 people. Past KFF polling shows that most in this age group were uncertain about the mRNA technology's safety. https://on.kff.org/45dteme