Medicare Part D 2008 Data Spotlight: Premiums October 30, 2007 Issue Brief This Medicare Part D data spotlight analyzes the premiums charged by the 1,824 stand-alone Medicare Part D plans that will be offered in markets across the country in 2008. The analysis finds premiums charged for Part D plans range widely, from $9.80 per month to $107.50 per month. The average…
Medicare Part D 2008 Data Spotlights November 30, 2007 Issue Brief To better understand changes in the private plans providing drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries under the program's Part D benefit, the Kaiser Family Foundation is issuing a series of data spotlights analyzing key elements of Medicare's private drug plans. Each spotlight will focus on a key aspect of the drug…
Medicare Advantage: Key Issues and Implications for Beneficiaries June 1, 2007 Report On June 28, 2007, Foundation Vice President Tricia Neuman testified before the House Budget Committee about Medicare Advantage plans and their implications for beneficiaries. Testimony (.pdf)
Perspectives on Medicare Part D and Dual Eligibles: Key Informants’ Views From Three States April 30, 2007 Report In 2006, low-income individuals receiving health coverage through both the Medicaid and Medicare programs, “dual eligibles,” experienced a change in their prescription drug benefit when their Medicaid prescription coverage was replaced by the Medicare prescription drug program known as Medicare Part D. This study provides information on the ongoing successes…
The Basics of Medicare and Medicaid February 28, 2007 Issue Brief Together, Medicare and Medicaid provide health coverage to about 90 million Americans. To help explain the two programs, the Kaiser Family Foundation issued a new primer on the Medicare program and an updated version of its primer on the Medicaid program. Prepared by Kaiser staff, the primers provide an overview…
Private Plans In Medicare: A 2007 Update February 28, 2007 Issue Brief This March 2007 issue brief, commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation, examines changes between 2006 and 2007 in the availability of and enrollment in Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug plans overall and in urban and rural areas. It also focuses on the firms that are offering various types of…
Retiree Health Benefits Examined: Findings from the Kaiser/Hewitt 2006 Survey on Retiree Health Benefits November 30, 2006 Report This includes the full report on the 2006 Kaiser/Hewitt survey of large businesses that provide retiree health benefits to their workers. The Kaiser/Hewitt study, the fifth joint survey since 2002, analyzes responses from a non-probability sample of 302 businesses with 1,000 or more employees that offer retiree health benefits. These…
Voices of Beneficiaries: Early Experiences with the Medicare Drug Benefit April 1, 2006 Report The Medicare Modernization Act established a voluntary prescription drug benefit for Medicare’s elderly and disabled beneficiaries provided by private plans that is open to all beneficiaries.This paper focuses on the decision-making process and the factors that influence decisions about Medicare drug plans, as well as beneficiaries’ early experiences and future…
Tracking Prescription Drug Coverage Under Medicare: Five Ways to Look at the New Enrollment Numbers February 1, 2006 Issue Brief Tracking Prescription Drug Coverage Under Medicare: Five Ways to Look at the New Enrollment NumbersThis new analysis, which assesses Medicare drug benefit enrollment statistics released Feb. 22 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, examines five different approaches to understanding the Medicare drug coverage numbers:What share of the…
Medicare Prescription Drug Enrollment Update June 2, 2006 Issue Brief Medicare Drug Benefit Enrollment UpdateThis enrollment update breaks down and explains the statistics related to enrollment under the new Medicare drug benefit and the separate low-income subsidy program that provides additional assistance. The enrollment update summarizes the latest enrollment figures released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and…