These toplines provide the complete results from a comprehensive survey of seniors on their understanding of and views toward the Medicare drug benefit. The survey of 802 seniors was conducted in late October 2005, prior to the start of the benefit’s open enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 15, 2005 to May 15, 2006.

The survey was conducted and analyzed by researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. It is part of an ongoing effort to track seniors’ views on the Medicare prescription drug benefit, which has included three earlier comprehensive surveys about Medicare and five tracking polls which included questions about the benefit.

Toplines (.pdf)

In a few short weeks, Medicare will undergo big changes that will have a major impact on nearly 4 million African American seniors and younger people with permanent disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health coverage. More than four in ten African Americans with Medicare lack coverage for their prescription drugs for at least part of the year. Many others will need to make decisions about their existing coverage and the new Medicare benefit.

Starting Jan. 1, Medicare will cover outpatient prescription drugs, but many seniors don’t even understand the basics about what the new benefit offers or how it works. Helping African Americans who rely on Medicare to understand how this program will work is critical to ensuring they make good decisions about this coverage.

The materials on this page provide a demographic overview of African Americans with Medicare. They were used for a conference call briefing on Monday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. Eastern time co-sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged.

Nov. 14 Presentation Slides — African Americans and Medicare (.pdf)

A Profile of African Americans, Latinos, and Whites with Medicare: Implications for Outreach Efforts for the New Drug Benefit

An estimated 200,000 Medicare beneficiaries were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Medicare played a key role in meeting the health care needs of the elderly and disabled beneficiaries who were displaced by the hurricane. Many of these beneficiaries face new challenges as a direct result of the hurricane. This issue brief identifies issues and challenges for individuals on Medicare affected by the hurricane and offers options for addressing these problems during the transition period. This issue brief focuses on subgroups of the Medicare population, including beneficiaries in traditional Medicare, those enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, and dual eligibles and nursing home residents. It looks at potential transition issues affecting beneficiaries as the new drug benefit is implemented. It also identifies issues to be considered in future disaster planning efforts.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

Long-Term Care: Understanding Medicaid’s Role for the Elderly and Disabled

This updated report provides a review of how Medicaid works for people with long-term care needs and describes the fiscal challenges that states currently face and that Medicaid may face in the future as the population ages.

Report (.pdf)

Executive Summary (.pdf)

In a few short weeks, Medicare will undergo big changes that will have a major impact on more than 3 million Hispanic seniors and younger people with permanent disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health coverage. More than one in three Hispanics with Medicare lack coverage for their prescription drugs for at least part of the year. Many others will need to make decisions about their existing coverage and the new Medicare benefit.

Starting Jan. 1, Medicare will cover outpatient prescription drugs, but many seniors don’t even understand the basics about what the new benefit offers or how it works. Helping Hispanics who rely on Medicare to understand how this program will work is critical to ensuring they make good decisions about this coverage.

The materials on this page provide a demographic overview of Hispanics with Medicare. They will be used for a conference call briefing on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m. Eastern time co-sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.

Nov. 16 Presentation Slides — Hispanics and Medicare (.pdf)

A Profile of African Americans, Latinos, and Whites with Medicare: Implications for Outreach Efforts for the New Drug Benefit

This comprehensive survey of seniors about the Medicare drug benefit finds that many seniors remain uncertain about how the new benefit will affect them and unsure about whether they will enroll. Seniors who say they understand the benefit well are more likely to report favorable views than those who do not.

The survey examines in depth what seniors know and understand about the new benefit and what they think about its potential helpfulness. It was conducted and analyzed by researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. Fieldwork was done by telephone by ICR/International Communications Research between October 13 and October 31, 2005, among a nationally representative sample of 802 respondents 65 years of age and older.

This survey is part of an ongoing effort to track seniors’ views on the Medicare prescription drug benefit, which has included three earlier comprehensive surveys about Medicare and five tracking polls which included questions about the benefit.

News Release

Chartpack

Toplines

The survey was released at a November 10, 2005 briefing:

Agenda (.pdf)

Speaker Biographies (.pdf)

This chartpack highlights key results and trends from a comprehensive survey of seniors on their understanding of and views toward the Medicare drug benefit. The survey of 802 seniors was conducted in late October 2005, prior to the start of the benefit’s open enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 15, 2005 to May 15, 2006. This survey is part of an ongoing effort to track seniors’ views on the Medicare prescription drug benefit, which has included three earlier comprehensive surveys about Medicare and five tracking polls which included questions about the benefit.

The survey was conducted and analyzed by researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. It is part of an ongoing effort to track seniors’ views on the Medicare prescription drug benefit, which has included three earlier comprehensive surveys about Medicare and five tracking polls which included questions about the benefit.

Chartpack (.pdf)

Asset Transfer and Nursing Home Use

This issue brief examines asset transfer data of elderly nursing home residents and finds that for those who qualify for Medicaid, their average asset transfer are small, sufficient to cover about one month of private nursing home care.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

The study, Sex on TV 4, examined a representative sample of more than 1,000 hours of programming including all genres other than daily newscasts, sports events, and children’s shows. All sexual content was measured, including talk about sex and sexual behavior.

Full Report (.pdf)

Introduction (.pdf)

Methodology (.pdf)

Findings (.pdf)

Conclusion and References (.pdf)

Appendices (.pdf)

Funding for Global HIV/AIDS By Major Donor Governments – An Overview (November/December 2005)

Global AIDS Link article (.pdf)