Medicare

New & Noteworthy

Health Policy 101: Medicare
Medicare provides health insurance coverage to 66 million people. It covers a comprehensive set of health care services, including hospitalizations, physician visits, and prescription drugs, along with post-acute care, skilled nursing facility care, home health care, hospice, and preventive services.
A Snapshot of Sources of Coverage Among Medicare Beneficiaries
Nearly everyone with Medicare had coverage through Medicare Advantage or traditional Medicare paired with some type of other coverage in 2022. But 3.2 million people (11%) had no additional coverage, raising their risk of high out-of-pocket medical costs.
Medicare Coverage of Telehealth
A number of pandemic-era flexibilities for Medicare coverage of telehealth are due to expire on Dec. 31 unless Congress acts to extend them. Our brief explains the current scope of Medicare telehealth coverage and the policy considerations that lie ahead.
What to Know About Medicare Part D Premiums
Several provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act are likely to shape Medicare Part D premiums for 2025. We explain how and why premiums might change. Actual premiums will not be known until September.

Data Visualization

The Facts About Medicare Spending

This interactive provides the facts on Medicare spending. Medicare, which serves 67 million people and accounts for 12 percent of the federal budget and 21 percent of national health spending, is often the focus of discussions about health expenditures, health care affordability and the sustainability of federal health programs.

Explore data on enrollment growth, Medicare spending trends overall and per person, growth in Medicare spending relative to private insurance, spending on benefits and Medicare Advantage, Part A trust fund solvency challenges, and growth in out-of-pocket spending by beneficiaries.