Age, Gender & Gender Identities

Biosimilars provide competition for biologics, which account for a significant and growing portion of Medicare Part B drug spending. This report evaluates the current state of biosimilar competition in Medicare Part B and explores opportunities to achieve further savings.

This two-pager presents knowledge gaps and research opportunities elevated during a national convening of child support and child poverty experts. The questions under each topic are opportunities where research can support child support program decision-making surrounding current issues elevated during the convening, though they do not cover the only important questions for study.

Between 1988 and 1998, Congress established the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). MSPs are Medicaid programs that subsidize the cost of Medicare premiums, deductibles, co-insurance, and other cost sharing for Medicare beneficiaries with low incomes.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes many provisions that aim to reduce out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part D. In 2024, cost-sharing in the final phase of the Part D benefit, the catastrophic coverage phase, was eliminated.

Congress has directed HHS to operate the Children’s Interagency Coordinating Council (CICC). The CICC is charged with fostering greater coordination and transparency on child policy across federal agencies and examining a broad array of cross-cutting issues affecting child poverty and child well-being.

Custody relinquishment occurs when children enter foster care primarily to receive behavioral health or disability services, not because of maltreatment. Parents may relinquish custody for a variety of reasons. Entering foster care could provide children with access to services that are otherwise unavailable due to limited capacity.

In 2020, 53 million adults in the United States had a mental health condition and 40 million people ages 12 and older had a substance use disorder (SUD). The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) exacerbated mental health conditions and SUDs at a time when access to in-person care was restricted due to safety concerns.

The first brief below provides insight into children’s and adolescents’ mental health service use in Medicaid and CHIP during the pandemic, by using a national Medicaid claims database.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) changes the way Medicare pays for prescription drugs. These changes will impact various stakeholders, including Medicare, Medicare enrollees, drug manufacturers, and others.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center is in the process of developing the Medicare $2 Drug List (M2DL) Model. This would allow Part D plan sponsors to offer a standardized list of generic drugs for a copayment of $2 or less for a month’s supply that would not be subject to prior authorization, quantity limits, or other utilization management restrictions.