Implications of The Medicare Modernization Act For States: Observations from a Focus Group Discussion with Medicaid Directors

This report summarizes a discussion with a group of state Medicaid officials about the impact of the Medicare prescription drug benefit on state Medicaid programs.

Report (.pdf)

Improving your Website: Principles of Good Web Design

Presentation for Families USA Conference, January 2005 (PPT)

Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Benefit: The Voices of People Dually Covered by Medicare and Medicaid

This focus group report highlights the kinds of questions, uncertainties, and reactions that dual eligibles have when asked about the impending changes in their drug coverage.

Report (.pdf)

This topline provides key findings from the Kaiser Health Poll Report tracking survey. The tracking survey also provides updated tracking data on seniors’ knowledge and views of the new Medicare law. Foundation President Drew E. Altman, Ph.D., released the data on Jan. 25, 2005, as part of a speech at the National Academy of Social Insurance’s National Conference.

Toplines (.pdf)

This chartpack provides key findings from the Kaiser Health Poll Report tracking survey. The tracking survey also provides updated tracking data on seniors’ knowledge and views of the new Medicare law. Foundation President Drew E. Altman, Ph.D., released the data on Jan. 27, 2005, as part of a speech at the National Academy of Social Insurance’s National Conference.

Chartpack (.pdf)

New Survey Assesses Senior’s Views of Medicare Drug Law

Seniors are most likely to say they would turn to their doctor, pharmacist, or the Medicare program, for help in making decisions about the new Medicare drug benefit set to begin Jan. 1, 2006, according to new data from the Kaiser Health Poll Report tracking survey. The tracking survey also provides updated tracking data on seniors’ knowledge and views of the new Medicare law.

Foundation President Drew E. Altman, Ph.D., released the data on Jan. 27, 2005, as part of a speech at the National Academy of Social Insurance’s (NASI) National Conference.

Chartpack

Toplines

Three new reports focus on one of the biggest challenges in the implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act, the transitioning of drug coverage for individuals dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, who now get their drug coverage from Medicaid, to the new Medicare benefit.

The New Medicare Prescription Drug Law: Issues for Enrolling Dual Eligibles into Drug Plans

Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Benefit: The Voices of People Dually Covered by Medicare and Medicaid

Implications of The Medicare Modernization Act For States: Observations from a Focus Group Discussion with Medicaid Directors

Transitions: A Video Explores some of the issues and challenges “dual eligibles” may face during the transition from Medicaid drug coverage to Medicare.

These reports were released at a January 24, 2005 briefing:

Agenda

Speaker Biographies

Presentation – The Transition of Dual Eligibles to Medicare Drug Coverage: Implications for Beneficiaries and States; Jocelyn Guyer, Kaiser Family Foundation

Presentation – The Transition of Dual Eligibles’ Drug Coverage from Medicaid to Medicare Part D: Issues and Options; Julie James, Health Policy Alternatives

Audio Webcast: Real Player or Windows Media Player

Related Documents:

Dual Eligibles Tables: Enrollment and Spending, by State, 2002

Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act Implementation Timeline: June 2004 – December 2006 Key Dates

The Medicare Prescription Drug Law – Fact Sheet

The New Medicare Prescription Drug Law: Issues for Enrolling Dual Eligibles into Drug Plans

This report describes the characteristics of dual eligibles and then discussess four key elements of the transition of their drug coverage to Medicare.

Issue Paper (.pdf)

This chartpack provides key findings from the survey of the public’s attitudes regarding the health care agenda for Bush’s second term and the new Congress in 2005. It assesses the relative priority placed on health-care concerns by the American public and also provides insight into public opinion on key issues likely to face the new Congress, such as implementing the Medicare drug law, controlling health care costs, reducing the nation’s uninsured population and reforming the malpractice litigation system.

Survey Chartpack (.pdf)

A national Kaiser Family Foundation survey of older Americans found that as the Internet becomes an increasingly important resource for informing decisions about health and health care options, less than a third (31%) of seniors (age 65 and older) have ever gone online, but that more than two-thirds (70%) of the next generation of seniors (50-64 year-olds) have done so. The differences among seniors and 50-64 year-olds are striking and indicate that online resources for health information may soon play a much larger role among older Americans. Twenty-one percent of seniors have gone online to look for health information compared to 53% of 50-64 year-olds; 8% of seniors get “a lot” of health information online compared to 24% of 50-64 year-olds; the Internet is 5th on a list of media sources of health information for seniors compared to first among 50-64 year-olds; and 26% of seniors trust the Internet “a lot” or “some” to provide accurate health information, compared to 58% of 50-64 year-olds. The survey is a nationally representative, random digit dial telephone survey of 1,450 adults age 50 and older, including 583 respondents age 65 and older. The report was released at a briefing held in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 12, 2005.

Survey

The survey was released at a January 12, 2005 briefing:

Agenda

Speaker Biographies