Kaiser Family Foundation

Inpatient treatment for mental health and substance use accounted for 10% of total commercial inpatient stays in 2023 (or 32 per 10,000 enrollees). The average (mean) total inpatient cost (including the share paid by the insurer and the share paid by the patient) for a mental health admission was $15,900 and for a substance use admission was $15,500.

Less than a month after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an interim final rule implementing Medicaid work requirements, Democratic Attorneys General from 24 states including the District of Columbia and two Democratic Governors filed a lawsuit challenging aspects of the Trump administration’s interpretation of the 2025 reconciliation law’s requirements, including most notably the medical frailty exemption.

Section: Introduction Racial discrimination is an underlying driver of health disparities that affects experiences across many aspects of everyday life as well as in health care settings. Repeated and ongoing exposure to racial discrimination can negatively affect individuals’ health and well-being, increasing risks of poor outcomes across multiple domains. Understanding how exposure to racial discrimination affects health can inform efforts to reduce health disparities.

Dr. Toyin Ajayi is a Board-certified Family Medicine physician and CEO of Cityblock, a value-based healthcare provider for Medicaid and dually eligible beneficiaries. Prior to Cityblock, she served as Chief Medical Officer of Commonwealth Care Alliance, an integrated health plan and care delivery system for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Dr. Ajayi serves on the Board of Directors of Evolent Health and Foodsmart and is a co-founder of Coalition Partners.

Section: Findings With childhood vaccination rates in the U.S. continuing to decline as measles cases rise across the U.S., KFF’s latest Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust shows that several commonly circulated vaccine myths remain pervasive among the public.

People who don’t have a trusted health care provider are more likely than people with one to believe or lean toward believing several common myths about vaccines, a new KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust reveals. Similarly, people who use social media or artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots at least weekly for health information are more likely than those who don’t to endorse these false vaccine claims.

A new KFF analysis finds that 3.8 million Medicare beneficiaries met the criteria to be eligible for the new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, based on claims data from 2023. The temporary 18-month program, launching on July 1 and running through December 2027, will provide coverage of three GLP-1s (Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo) used for weight reduction and weight management to eligible beneficiaries who are enrolled in Medicare Part D.

According to recent news reports, the families of about 400 children with disabilities who are enrolled in Tennessee’s Children’s Special Services (CSS) program received notices from the state health department in early June stating that if their child continued to remain enrolled in CSS beyond June 30, 2026, their information would be reported to a central state immigration enforcement agency.

On July 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will roll out a new, temporary program covering GLP-1s for obesity for people with Medicare. The program, known as the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, provides coverage of GLP-1s used for weight reduction and weight management to eligible beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part D, although the program will operate outside of the Part D benefit and payment system.

New federal data released Friday, June 26 shows ACA Marketplace Enrollment dropped 13% following the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits at the beginning of this year. Enrollment fell from a high of 22.1 million people in 2025 to 19.2 million people in February 2026.