Which States Will Be Affected by Key Medicaid Provisions in the 2025 Reconciliation Law? Authors: Alice Burns, Jennifer Tolbert, Robin Rudowitz, and Anthony Montano Published: Oct 7, 2026

https://www.kff.org/medicaid/which-states-will-be-affected-by-key-medicaid-provisions-in-the-2025-reconciliation-law/ Amidst challenging fiscal conditions and upcoming national and state elections, states are working to implement major federal changes to Medicaid. The 2025 reconciliation law made major changes to federal revenues and spending. Shortly after enactment, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the new law would reduce federal spending on Medicaid by $911 billion over the 2025–2034 period and that the Medicaid changes would increase the number of people without health insurance by 7.5 million in the year 2034. Recognizing the risks such changes posed for rural areas, policy makers added a $50 billion rural health transformation program (referred to here as the “rural health fund”) to the reconciliation law. All 50 states have received first-year allotments from the rural health fund and are implementing new initiatives to support rural health care, although these funds will not offset reductions in federal Medicaid support.

AI: Does Europe Have the Answer? October 6, 2026

Episode 18, AI Series: When health systems are stressed, Martin McKee has been there taking notes. He’s spent four decades studying collapse and recovery — the post-Soviet transition, the 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and research director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, he’s turned that lens on AI. He arrives at a charged moment: America is locked in a debate over whether AI development should slow down or even pause. Europe made a different choice — binding AI with some of the world’s strictest rules. After a run of episodes examining AI through a U.S. lens, Chip and McKee cross the Atlantic: What does the American debate look like from Europe — and does regulation offer an answer that a pause cannot? https://www.kff.org/other-health/ai-does-europe-have-the-answer/

Journalists Go Behind Health Headlines From Georgia, Michigan, and Russia Oct. 10, 2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/on-air/on-air-october-10-2026-dementia-sedation-drugs-russia-lab-death-rural-voters/

Women’s Experiences with and Attitudes Towards Family Support Policies Findings from the 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey Authors: Karen Diep, Usha Ranji, Brittni Frederiksen, Ivette Gomez, and Alina Salganicoff Published: Oct 8, 2026

https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/womens-experiences-with-and-attitudes-towards-family-support-policies/ There has been increased attention on declining fertility rates in the U.S. and globally. Fertility rates have been falling for many years, but they have been in the spotlight of media coverage recently, in part because of the current Administration’s focus on pronatalist policies aimed at encouraging people to have more children. Considerable financial and structural barriers face people who want to start families, including expensive and limited childcare options, inconsistent and limited paid leave and workplace flexibility, low economic mobility, and high cost of living. The 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey is a nationally representative survey of 4,688 women and 1,148 men ages 18 to 64, fielded between March 11, 2026 to April 14, 2026. This analysis presents data among women 18 to 49 (n=3,538) and men 18-49 (840), and highlights women’s opinions regarding the possible impact of potential federal actions on their decision to have children in the future as well their experiences with paid parental leave and sick leave in the workplace.

Women's Health Survey

https://www.kff.org/series/womens-health-survey/ The Women’s Health Survey is a series of nationally representative surveys on women’s health conducted by KFF since 2001. The survey’s objective is to track and document women’s experiences with the health care system, access challenges and barriers to care, knowledge related to health and well-being, and differences between women by age, race/ethnicity, income level, and insurance type. The 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey, the most recent iteration of the survey, includes a nationally representative sample of 5,854 adults ages 18 to 64, including 4,688 women and 1,148 men, and was conducted from March 11, 2026 to April 14, 2026. The survey includes representative samples of Black, Hispanic, and Asian or Pacific Islander women as well as those who identify as LGBT+.

Poll: Cost of Health Care and Gas Top Voters’ Midterm Concerns; Democrats Hold Significant Advantage on Health Care Costs and Cost of Living Two-Thirds Favor Medicare-for-All, a New High in KFF Polling, but Support Shifts When Competing Claims from Critics and Proponents Are Heard Published: Oct 6, 2026

https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/poll-cost-of-health-care-and-gas-top-voters-midterm-concerns-democrats-hold-significant-advantage-on-health-care-costs-and-cost-of-living/ Just a month away from the midterm elections, affordability worries continue to top the public’s list of midterm election issues, with health care costs and gas costs tying as the top economic concern, KFF’s new Health Tracking Poll finds. Voters overall trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the cost of health care and the cost of living.

Current and Historical Public Opinion on Medicare-for-All and Other National Health Plan Proposals Published: Oct 6, 2026

https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/current-and-historical-public-opinion-on-medicare-for-all-and-other-national-health-plan-proposals/ For many years, KFF has been tracking public opinion on the idea of a national health plan, including questions specifically about “Medicare-for-all” since 2017. This 2026 midterm election cycle, some progressive Democratic candidates have been campaigning on their support for Medicare-for-all, in which all Americans would get their insurance from a single government plan. As U.S. adults struggle to afford their health costs, many are looking for changes to the health care system. This data note summarizes current and historical KFF polling on Medicare-for-all and other national health proposals.