Medicare: Part D / Prescription Drugs - Kaiser Family Foundation

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Medicare: Part D / Prescription Drugs

Medicare in Health Reform
The Kaiser Family Foundation has prepared comparisons to the Medicare provisions in the key health reform legislation now working through Congress. Other issue briefs examine the implications of an independent Medicare rate-setting commission and provide historical context for the legislation's proposed Medicare savings.

2009 Medicare Part D Data Spotlights
The Kaiser Family Foundation has issued a series of six data spotlights, including a summary of findings, examining key aspects of the drug plans available to Medicare beneficiaries in 2009 and relevant trends since the Medicare drug benefit took effect in 2006.

Recent Documents: (216 results)

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Summary of Key Medicare Provisions in H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act -- November 2009
This brief describes the major Medicare provisions in the health reform legislation approved by the House on November 7, 2009.

Medicare Part D 2010 Data Spotlights -- November 2009
These data spotlights and other resources related to the Part D Medicare stand-alone drug plan options available to seniors for calendar year 2010.

Medicare Part D 2010 Data Spotlight: The Coverage Gap -- November 2009
This data spotlight examines the coverage gap, or "doughnut hole," in Medicare stand-alone drug plans available in 2010. The spotlight is one in a series analyzing key aspects of the Medicare Part D drug plans that will be available to beneficiaries in 2010.

Medicare Advantage 2010 Data Spotlight: Plan Availability and Premiums -- November 2009
This data spotlight examines changes in the availability and premiums of private Medicare Advantage options for Medicare beneficiaries in 2010.

Medicare Part D Spotlight: Part D Plan Availability in 2010 and Key Changes Since 2006 -- November 2009
This initial analysis examines the stand-alone Medicare drug plan options that will be available to beneficiaries in 2010, including the number of available, premiums for those plans, and benefit designs.

The Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit - An Updated Fact Sheet -- November 2009
This updated fact sheet includes the latest information and data about the Medicare Drug Benefit, including a breakdown of the standard benefit, enrollment data and an update on additional low-income assistance.

Medicare Advantage Fact Sheet -- November 2009
This updated fact sheet provides an overview of the Medicare Advantage program, describes program changes made by the new drug law in plan participation and beneficiary enrollment, presents data on benefits and premiums, and explains changes in Medicare payments to participating plans.

Setting Medicare Payment Policy: Is There a Role for an Independent Entity? -- October 2009
This issue brief considers questions associated with the establishment of a new entity to set Medicare payment policy and the implications for beneficiaries, other stakeholders, and program spending. The idea is being considered as part of health form as a way to improve Medicare's efficiency and control health care costs.

Examining Sources of Supplemental Insurance and Prescription Drug Coverage Among Medicare Beneficiaries: Findings from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2007 -- August 2009
This chartpack presents new information on the sources of supplemental and prescription drug coverage among Medicare beneficiaries in 2007, the most recent year for which national data are available.

A Primer on Medicare Financing -- July 2009
This primer provides an overview of Medicare’s financing, examines several methods of assessing the program’s long-term financial outlook, and looks at various policy options under discussion to control costs both for Medicare and for the nation's overall health care system.

This brief describes the major Medicare provisions in the health reform legislation approved by the House on November 7, 2009.

These data spotlights and other resources related to the Part D Medicare stand-alone drug plan options available to seniors for calendar year 2010.

This data spotlight examines the coverage gap, or "doughnut hole," in Medicare stand-alone drug plans available in 2010. The spotlight is one in a series analyzing key aspects of the Medicare Part D drug plans that will be available to beneficiaries in 2010.

This data spotlight examines changes in the availability and premiums of private Medicare Advantage options for Medicare beneficiaries in 2010.

This initial analysis examines the stand-alone Medicare drug plan options that will be available to beneficiaries in 2010, including the number of available, premiums for those plans, and benefit designs.

This updated fact sheet includes the latest information and data about the Medicare Drug Benefit, including a breakdown of the standard benefit, enrollment data and an update on additional low-income assistance.

This updated fact sheet provides an overview of the Medicare Advantage program, describes program changes made by the new drug law in plan participation and beneficiary enrollment, presents data on benefits and premiums, and explains changes in Medicare payments to participating plans.

This issue brief considers questions associated with the establishment of a new entity to set Medicare payment policy and the implications for beneficiaries, other stakeholders, and program spending. The idea is being considered as part of health form as a way to improve Medicare's efficiency and control health care costs.

This chartpack presents new information on the sources of supplemental and prescription drug coverage among Medicare beneficiaries in 2007, the most recent year for which national data are available.

This primer provides an overview of Medicare’s financing, examines several methods of assessing the program’s long-term financial outlook, and looks at various policy options under discussion to control costs both for Medicare and for the nation's overall health care system.

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Part D / Prescription Drugs: Medicare

Prescription drug use increases with age, along with the prevalence of chronic and acute health problems. The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 established Medicare Part D, an outpatient prescription drug benefit that took effect in 2006. Through Part D, Medicare beneficiaries have access to prescription drug coverage offered by private health plans, either stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) or Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans, such as HMOs or PPOs. Part D plans are required to provide a “standard” benefit or one that is actuarially equivalent, and may offer more generous benefits. In general, individuals who sign up for a Part D plan pay a monthly premium, along with cost-sharing amounts for each prescription. Currently, 90 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries have prescription drug coverage, with 26 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a Part D plan and another 10 million receiving drug coverage from an employer or union plan.