This Week: A One-Pager on What’s Wrong with U.S. Health Care

Plus, KFF’s Business of Health with Chip Kahn podcast kicks off with a discussion with KFF President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

View in browser This Week The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news. A One-Pager on What’s Wrong with U.S. Health Care Asked for a one-pager on what’s wrong with the U.S. health system, Dr. Drew Altman, Founding President and CEO, explains the top issues in this piece, published today as his latest column. Altman explains, “We have neither a competitive health care system nor a regulated one—we have a fragmented, micromanaged health system that fails to control costs and makes both patients and health professionals more miserable than they should be…”   Read the column → Are Health Insurance Companies the Reason for Our Health System’s Ills?   In this JAMA Health Forum column, KFF’s Larry Levitt examines the criticism that health insurance companies are facing from political leaders, and explores the industry’s role in both causing and addressing some of the health systems’ biggest problems, including rising costs and prior authorization review.   Read the column → Why KFF Is Launching a Podcast on the Business of Health   To kick off our new show, KFF’s Business of Health with Chip Kahn, Drew Altman explains how the organization is continually evolving to research, analyze and lead on health policy. Chip and Drew discuss how our new podcast will break down the business side of health care, artificial intelligence, and what it all means for health care delivery and patients.    Listen and subscribe → Timely insights and analysis from KFF staff “Extending the short-term GLP-1 Bridge program is good news for eligible Medicare beneficiaries because it provides the certainty of obesity drug coverage at a $50 copay for a longer duration, but federal spending will also rise by some unknown amount since CMS hasn’t disclosed the projected cost.” Read more. Juliette Cubanski Deputy Director Program on Medicare Policy “The latest KFF Health Tracking Poll shows that the Secretary continues to be popular among President Trump’s MAGA base and somewhat popular among supporters of his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, but his appeal beyond those two groups is limited.” Read more. Liz Hamel Senior Vice President Director of Public Opinion and Survey Research What the Health? RFK Jr. vs. Congress   HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. completed his tour of House and Senate committees this week, ostensibly to promote President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for his department but also to answer for some of his more controversial positions, particularly on vaccines. Meanwhile, Trump signed an order to facilitate the use of hallucinogens to treat mental health conditions. Victoria Knight of Bloomberg Government, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.    Listen → How Employers Support Lower-Waged Workers’ Access to Health Insurance Options   This analysis examines the costs, availability, and take-up of health benefits for workers with lower wages, using survey data and focus groups with more than 100 U.S. employers with over a quarter of a million employees.   Learn more → Question of the Week   Last week, 64% of readers answered correctly that 65% of the adult population ages 19 to 64 on Medicaid already work. Health insurance compensation makes up what percentage of average total compensation for all employees? 8% 15% 21% See how many readers answered correctly in the next edition of This Week. Health News Democrats Demand Trump Administration Halt Plan To Collect Federal Workers’ Health Data   Medigap Premiums Leap, and Consumers Have Few Alternatives Food Stamp Work Rules Don’t Increase Employment, Researchers Say   Medigap Premiums Leap, and Consumers Have Few Alternatives   California Lawmakers Seek Protections for Patients in ICE Custody   They’re in Remission, but Their Medical Bills Aren’t: Cancer Survivors Navigate Soaring Costs   Real Estate Investors Profit From Long-Term Care While Residents Languish   Listen: Cheap Health Insurance Isn’t Always Cheap More on Health Policy   The Monitor - Companies Expand AI Health Offerings, Even as Accuracy Questions Remain   What We Know from the Latest PEPFAR Data: Analysis of FY 2025 Quarter 4 Results KFF Tracker: America First MOU Bilateral Global Health Agreements   Breaking Down the U.S. Global Health Budget by Program Area   Medicaid Waiver Tracker: Approved and Pending Section 1115 Waivers by State   Overview of President Trump’s Executive Actions Impacting LGBTQ+ Health Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe to This Week. This email was sent to albarkahslamet.ssss@blogger.com. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Or, permanently unsubscribe from all future emails. Need assistance? Email subscriptions@kff.org; do not reply to this email. The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news. KFF, 185 Berry Street, Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107