The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
A joint survey conducted by the Washington Post, Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University explores the public’s knowledge about the Social Security program and their attitudes about Social Security reform.
Survey Toplines (.pdf)
Dual Eligibles: Medicaid’s Role for Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries
This fact sheet and set of tables describe the over 7 million “dual eligibles,” the low-income elderly and persons with disabilities who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. The fact sheet describes why this population needs Medicaid, what services they receive from Medicaid, and the current policy challenges related to dual eligibles, including the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. The set of tables, prepared by the Urban Institute for the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, presents the most current state-by-state data on Medicaid enrollment and expenditures for dual eligibles.
Fact Sheet (.pdf)
This document summarizes the final regulations to implement the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. The regulations were published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as a final rule in the Jan. 28 Federal Register. It provides an overview that allows interested parties to obtain information about specific provisions of the law. The summary was prepared by Health Policy Alternatives Inc. on behalf of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Issue Brief (.pdf)
Charts (.pdf)
Navigating Medicare and Medicaid: Resource Guides for People with Disabilities, Their Families, and Their Advocates
These guides explain the critical role Medicare and Medicaid have come to play in the lives and the futures of roughly 20 million children, adults, and seniors with disabilities – and give people with disabilities new information to help them get the most from these programs.
This guide helps to explain the program rules for Medicare and Medicaid with regard to work. Medicare and Medicaid have come to play important roles in the lives and the futures of roughly 20 million children, adults, and seniors with disabilities – and this guide gives people with disabilities new information to help them get the most from these programs.
Section 1: Protecting Health Coverage For People With Disabilities Who Work
Section 2: Work-Related Incentives For Persons on Either SSDI or SSI
Section 3: Additional Work Incentives Available to People with Disabilities on SSDI
Section 4: Additional Work Incentives Available to People with Disabilities on SSI
Section 5: Medicaid Buy-In Programs
Medicaid’s Optional Populations: Coverage and Benefits
Medicaid reform discussions have often focused around giving states greater flexibility over optional populations and services. This issue brief presents an overview of Medicaid’s optional beneficiaries and services and provides examples of who qualifies as “optional” and the services they use.
Issue Brief (.pdf)
Financing Health Coverage: The State Children’s Health Insurance Program Experience
Enactment of SCHIP sought a balance between increasing funds available for coverage and limiting total federal outlays. While SCHIP has had widespread support and success in helping to provide coverage for uninsured children, its capped financing system has also created challenges for states, including inequities among states and projected federal funding shortfalls. This issue brief explores three basic sets of issues associated with SCHIP’s funding structure: efforts to control and make federal spending more predictable limits the flexibility of a funding structure that responds to program needs; inequities and problems targeting funds are unavoidable when distributing capped federal funding to states through a pre-set formula; and while attempts to fix distributional problems can provide some help, they also make the funding system more complex and hard to manage. The analysis offers valuable lessons to consider when the program is up for reauthorization in 2007, but also with respect to efforts to redesign aspects of the Medicaid program.
Issue Paper (.pdf)
This guide explains the critical role Medicare and Medicaid have come to play in the lives and the futures of roughly 20 million children, adults, and seniors with disabilities – and gives people with disabilities new information to help them get the most from these programs.
Full PDF Report (.pdf)
Section 1: Introduction
Section 2: Medicare
Section 3: Medicaid
Section 4: Interaction Between Medicare and Medicaid
Transitions is a video that explores some of the issues and challenges “dual eligibles” may face during the transition from Medicaid drug coverage to Medicare.