Race & Ethnicity

Health and human services policies and programs have wide-ranging effects on individuals and communities which can facilitate optimal health and well-being or impose harm, particularly for historically underserved communities.

Effective January 1, 2023, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) eliminated cost sharing and deductibles for adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) covered under Medicare Part D. In 2023, 10.3 million Medicare Part D enrollees received a recommended vaccine free of charge, which saved enrollees more than $400 million in out-of-pocket costs.

This issue brief uses Medicare fee-for-service data to conduct illustrative analyses of primary care spending using a methodology that has been frequently used by policymakers and academics and can be applied to claims data.

This issue brief presents Marketplace enrollment and plan selections by race and ethnicity among 2015-2023 Open Enrollment Period enrollees in HealthCare.gov states using combined self-reported race and ethnicity information with imputed data for missing values.

The Affordable Care Act substantially transformed the market for non-group private health insurance, introducing new consumer protections and coverage standards and establishing Health Insurance Marketplaces.

This Issue Brief focuses on the changes over time in Marketplace insurance coverage in HealthCare.gov states and the association between various demographic and plan characteristics including income, metal level selection, race and ethnicity, and premiums by leveraging self-reported and imputed data.

In 2022, 43.3 million Medicare Part D enrollees (82 percent) filled 1.1 billion prescriptions for generic prescription drugs. While most enrollees filled at least one prescription for $2 or less, most (54 percent) paid more than $2 for at least one generic drug. Over 6 million enrollees filled at least one prescription for over $20.

According to the most recent National Health Interview Survey data, the national uninsured rate in the third quarter of 2023 was 7.7 percent, unchanged statistically from the first two quarters of 2023.

Key Points

As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Congress provided HHS with funding for 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.