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Medicare

New & Noteworthy

Medical Bills
Problems Getting Care Due to Cost or Paying Medical Bills Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Having Medicare coverage does not alleviate the burden of medical costs. In 2017, one in six Medicare beneficiaries had problems getting care or delayed care due to cost, or had problems paying medical bills, and the percentage was significantly higher among beneficiaries in fair or poor health, those with low incomes, and those without supplemental coverage.
Issue Brief
COVID-19 and Workers at Risk: Examining the Long-Term Care Workforce
The nation’s long-term care workers are disproportionately low wage employees, they tend to have direct and frequent contact with patients, and many are middle-aged or older. That makes them a group that is at higher risk of coronavirus infection and generally less suited to weather the financial and physical trials of getting sick.
EXTENDED SUPPLIES
Examining Medicare Part D Policies for Extended Supplies of Medication
We examine the share of Part D enrollees who have access to extended supplies of generic, brand-name, and specialty-tier drugs covered by their plan in 2020, under policies that applied prior to the change in law, and that will apply after the COVID-19 emergency declaration ends.
Personal Finance
Medicare Beneficiaries’ Financial Security Before the Coronavirus Pandemic
Even before the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are fully realized, our analysis finds many Medicare beneficiaries lived on limited incomes and modest, if any, savings, with wide disparities by age, gender and race/ethnicity. That raises questions about the extent to which Medicare beneficiaries will be able to bear additional, unanticipated costs that are likely to arise from the pandemic.

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.