New federal data shows hospital revenues increased 7.6% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to 2025. Hospitals continue to be the biggest driver of health care cost growth.
www.census.gov/services/cur...
Government can promote health care affordability in a variety of ways, all of which have potential tradeoffs.
Improved competition to help lower prices.
Regulation to push prices down.
Requirements that cap patient cost-sharing.
Subsidies that lower what consumers have to pay.
The Trump administration deserves credit for pushing for health care price transparency, which is an important patient protection that the industry has long opposed. However, it's not a panacea. Knowing that your care will be expensive does not make it affordable.
apnews.com/article/trum...
We’re also excited to share that Juliette Cubanski (@jcubanski.bsky.social) has been promoted to vice president and executive director of the program on Medicare policy, and Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek (@jeanniebin.bsky.social) to deputy director.
We're hiring! The KFF Project on Hospital Costs is searching for a Senior Policy Analyst or Senior Data Analyst to work on timely policy analyses relating to hospital and health system spending, prices, finances, and business practices:
kff.bamboohr.com/careers/115
All of us at KFF wish @tricia-neuman.bsky.social, a senior VP and Medicare policy program executive director, a wonderful retirement!
We’re grateful for her dedication, hard work, and leadership to inform debates about Medicare policy and help people understand the program.
Larry Levitt
Larry Levitt
The federal government is required to issue guidance on implementing new Medicaid work requirements by June 1, which is Monday. The work requirements have to begin by January 1, 2027. How states can define and enforce an exemption for medical frailty is a big area of uncertainty.
Larry Levitt
Should insurers start lending their customers money so they can cover the plans’ high deductibles? It’s one idea being floated by the Trump administration. Here’s my story: www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/b...
Our public debate tends to conflate fraud -- unscrupulous health care providers or insurance brokers swindling public programs -- with policy choices such as whether people should be guaranteed health care whether or they're working.
KFF
KFF is the leading health policy organization in the U.S. As a one-of-a-kind information organization, we bring together substantial capabilities in policy research, polling, and journalism in one...
