This primer prepared by Kaiser Family Foundation researchers explains key elements of the Medicare program that provides health coverage to nearly 44 million people—including about 37 million people age 65 and older and another 7 million younger adults with permanent disabilities. It looks at the characteristics of the Medicare population, what benefits are covered, how much people with Medicare pay for their benefits and the program’s overall costs and future financing challenges. It also provides information about the Medicare Advantage program and the Medicare drug benefit, and includes detailed tables showing the number of Medicare beneficiaries in each state, broken out by age, income level, source of drug coverage, and by enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans.

 Issue Brief (.pdf)

 Issue Brief - Large-Print Version (.pdf)