Medicare

New & Noteworthy

Financing
Medicare’s Finances Have Gotten Much Worse in Recent Years, Foreshadowing Tough Choices for November’s Winners
This Policy Watch post discusses the latest Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund solvency projections, which show the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt Medicare’s financial outlook, and foreshadow the tough choices facing the next President and Congress.
Personal Finance
Mail Delays Could Affect Mail-Order Prescriptions for Millions of Medicare Part D and Large Employer Plan Enrollees
Potential changes in mail service delivery could be a concern for people who receive prescription drugs from mail-order pharmacies. To understand who may be most affected by delays in the delivery of prescription drugs, we analyzed use of mail order in Medicare Part D and large group employer plans.
Health Costs
Comparing Private Payer and Medicare Rates for Select Inpatient Hospital Services
Private insurers typically pay more than twice as much as Medicare for services likely to be used by patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Our analysis also shows there is much wider variation in private insurance payment rates than Medicare payments for all services we analyzed.
Providers
Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payments for COVID-19 Revenue Loss: Time to Repay?
Hospitals and other providers are asking Congress for more time to repay — or even forgive — the $100 billion in Medicare accelerated and advance payments that eased the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic. We explain the programs and the implications of modifying repayment terms.

Medicare advantage statistics

Latest Polling

59%

of Medicare Advantage enrollees are in plans operated by UnitedHealthcare, Humana, or BlueCross BlueShield affiliates in 2019. (2019 Issue Brief)

29%

of new Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans during their first year on Medicare in 2016. (2019 Issue Brief)

34%

of all Medicare beneficiaries (22 million people) are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. (2019 Issue Brief)

62%

of the 22 million Medicare Advantage enrollees in 2019 are in in HMOs, with the rest in local or regional PPOs. (2019 Fact Sheet)

medicare advantage resources

The Medicare Marketplace

No Itch to Switch
Few Medicare Beneficiaries Switch Plans During Open Enrollment
A relatively small share of people with Medicare Advantage or stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage voluntarily switch plans during Medicare’s open enrollment period from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.
Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage in 2020
Medicare Advantage plans have taken a large and growing role in the Medicare program over the past decade, with more than 22 million beneficiaries (34%) enrolled in the private plans in 2019.
Part D
Medicare Part D: A Look at Prescription Drug Plans in 2020
In 2020, nearly nine in 10 stand-alone drug plan enrollees are projected to be in plans operated by five firms: UnitedHealth, Humana, WellCare, CVS Health, and Cigna

The Essentials

Basics
An Overview of Medicare Coverage
Medicare plays a key role in providing health care and financial security to more than 60 million older people and younger people with disabilities.
federal budget
The Facts on Medicare Spending
Medicare spending was 15 percent of total federal spending in 2018. Benefit payments totaled $731 billion that year.
income and assets
Finances of Medicare Beneficiaries, 2016-2035
Half of all Medicare beneficiaries had incomes below $26,200 per person in 2016 and savings below $74,450.
medicare part d
10 Things to Know About Part D
Part D is a voluntary outpatient prescription drug benefit for people with Medicare, provide through private plans approved by the federal government.
quiz
How Much Do You Know About Medicare?
Take this quiz to find out how much you know about Medicare, the people it serves, the benefits it covers, and its financial status.