This report examines the early experience with the Medicare-Approved Drug Discount Card Program, prices offered by card sponsors, and potential savings for enrollees. The report presents information about approved discount card programs, including sponsors, enrollment fees, and drugs covered, as well as beneficiary education and outreach efforts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The pricing analysis shows that discount cards can deliver savings off of full retail drug prices, but also that savings for individual beneficiaries can vary significantly across card programs. In contrast to predictions that market forces would result in lower drugs prices, no notable price changes were observed after the program’s initial start up period.

Executive Summary (.pdf)

Report (.pdf)

SCHIP Program Enrollment: December 2003 Update

The latest survey of states on State Children’s Health Insurance Program shows an enrollment decline in the second half of 2003–the first decline in the six-year history of the program.

Report (.pdf)

Topline findings from the May/June 2004 Kaiser Health Poll Report survey, including knowledge and opinions about the new Medicare prescription drug law.

Survey Toplines (.pdf)

This paper identifies and examines consumer protection issues that arise from the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. Key issue areas include: beneficiary information, marketing, enrollment and disenrollment, the drug benefit package and cost-sharing, the appeals process, concerns for low-income beneficiaries, challenges for nursing home issues, and fraud and abuse.

Report (.pdf)

Q&A with Drew Altman on Healthcare Issues in Boston Sunday Globe

In a Boston Sunday Globe Q&A published on Sunday, July 18, Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman discussed rising healthcare premiums and their impact on families.

“Q&A with Kaiser’s Drew Altman on Healthcare Issues” by Kimberly Blanton

The President’s FY 2005 Budget Proposal: Overview and Briefing Charts

The overview and briefing charts present information on the President’s FY 2005 budget proposal to Congress beginning with federal surplus/deficit spending historical data and a summary of the overall composition of the Administration’s budget request. The charts then detail information on the President’s funding proposals for major health programs.

Overview & Briefing Charts (.pdf)

The New Medicare Rx Benefit: Challenges for Maintaining Access to Prescription Drugs

With the launch of the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit less than 18 months away, and growing interest in beneficiaries’ access to medications in the future, the Kaiser Family Foundation is pleased to release two new publications that examine issues concerning access to medications raised by the implementation of the new Part D Medicare prescription drug benefit.

The New Medicare Drug Benefit: Potential Effects of Pharmacy Management Tools on Access to Medications

The New Medicare Prescription Drug Law: Issues for Dual Eligibles with Disabilities and Serious Conditions

The issue paper provides data on the demographic profile of health center patients and the revenue sources available for financing their care, including recent increases in federal discretionary funding. It examines the impact of the recent economic downturn on health centers in selected communities, exploring the effect of elevated unemployment levels among lower wage workers, declining private health insurance coverage, and widespread cutbacks in Medicaid–the single most important source of health center financing.

Issue Paper (.pdf)

Richard Gere and Parmeshwar Godrej launched the ‘Heroes Project’ with an aim to mobilize societal leaders and the media industry to fight HIV/AIDS in India. Healing the Divide has received a grant of up to $2.4 million over three years from Avahan, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s India AIDS initiative, and will implement the Heroes Project through the Gere Foundation India Trust. The Heroes Project also includes as partners the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, which has committed $250,000 in the first year towards production of public service announcements and will provide public health and information expertise towards the project, and Star India, which has generously committed an estimated $14 million in airtime through its media assets over thethree-year project.

News Release — Richard Gere and Parmeshwar Godrej Launch the Heroes Project to Fight AIDS in India

View “Heroes Project” PSAsFans (Hindi) :30Fans (English subtitles) :30Dressing Room (Hindi) :30Dressing Room (English) :30

Kaiser Family Foundation Sessions and Press Briefings XV International AIDS Conference, 2004

Satellite Session: Resource Tracking and Priority SettingUNAIDS is hosting this panel that will feature the work of the UNAIDS Consortium on Resource Tracking. The session will highlight the importance of tracking global HIV/AIDS financial information, review the methodological approaches used to track HIV/AIDS resource flows; and determine gaps in HIV/AIDS financial information and coverage as well as strategies for moving forward. Jennifer Kates, Director of HIV Policy for the Kaiser Family Foundation will moderate the session.– Sunday, July 11 – Satellite Meeting – Room D, 9:30-11:30

Satellite Session: The Power of the Media in HIV Prevention: Hype or Help? Recent Evaluations of Three Media-Based HIV Prevention CampaignsThe Kaiser Family Foundation is co-hosting this panel with YouthNet/Family Health International, MTV U.S. and MTV International with the support of the UNAIDS Interagency Task Team on Young People (IATT/YP). The session will review recent evaluations of three of the leading public education campaigns that focus on HIV/AIDS – loveLife (South Africa), MTV International’s Staying Alive (Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa), and MTV USA’s Be Safe/Fight For Your Rights: Protect Yourself (U.S.A.). All three campaigns use the media extensively to build awareness and educate as well as connect individuals to services. The Kaiser Family Foundation is a primary partner in each of the campaigns.– Monday, July 12 – Satellite Meeting – Room E, 18:00-20:00

Leadership Program/Press Availability: Showcasing Media Partnerships – The Global Media AIDS InitiativeThe Kaiser Family Foundation and the BBC World Service Trust are co-organizing this session to highlight the work of the Global Media AIDS Initiative, an initiative of the UN, UNAIDS and the Kaiser Family Foundation under the auspices of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Kathleen Cravero, Deputy Director of UNAIDS will moderate this session which will feature organizers of media campaigns underway around the world, focusing on efforts in India, Russia, and China.– Tuesday, July 13 – Leadership Program – Room O, 10:30-12:00; to be followed immediately by press availability with panel participants, 12:15-13:00 – Location TBD, Media Center.

Press Briefing: The Global Media AIDS Initiative – New HIV/AIDS Public Education CampaignsThe Global Media AIDS Initiative will announce new media efforts to address HIV in Russia, India, and China and new resources made available to all media companies to combat HIV/AIDS. Participants at the press conference will include: Peter Piot, Executive Director, UNAIDS, Kathleen Cravero, Deputy Executive Director, UNAIDS, Matt James, Senior Vice President at the Kaiser Family Foundation, Bill Roedy, President, MTV Networks International, and Richard Gere.– Tuesday, July 13 – Press Conference – Location TBD – Media Center 12:15-1:00

Poster Session: Love Them Enough to Talk About Sex: Implementing a Campaign Targeted at Helping Parents Talk to their Adolescents about HIV, Sex and Other Reproductive Health IssuesThis poster session will focus on the role of parents in youth HIV prevention programs, using lessons learned from the “Parents’ Campaign” of loveLife. loveLife is South Africa’s national HIV prevention program for youth.– Wednesday July 14, 2004, 12:00 – 14:00, Hall 3 Track E

Satellite Session: Towards an HIV-Free Generation: Lessons and Experiences From Large-Scale Youth HIV/AIDS Prevention Programming ResearchHosted by the UN Foundation, Kaiser Family Foundation, the African Youth Alliance and the UN Interagency Task Team on HIV/AIDS and Young People, this session will review leading prevention efforts, address ways to scale up prevention efforts, and ways to measure the effectiveness of prevention programs.– Tuesday, July 13 – Satellite Meeting – Room J, 20:15-22:15

Leadership Session: At the Crossroads: Accelerating Youth Access to HIV/AIDS InterventionsHosted by Inter-agency Task Team on HIV/AIDS and Young People in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation and Family Health International, this session will examine the role of health service access and the importance of a supportive cultural, social and political environment for delivery of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care programmes for adolescents and youth.– Wednesday, July 14 – Meet the Leaders – Room N, 14:00-15:30

loveLife Exhibition Booth:

loveLife is South Africa’s national HIV prevention program for youth. Organized under the auspices of a national advisory board of leading South Africans, loveLife combines a high-powered media campaign with nationwide adolescent sexual health services, and community-level outreach and support programs for youth. Staffed by young people who are actively involved in the loveLife program, they will offer substantive information about the program as well as share publications and video presentation of the program including PSAs, and Internet hook-up to the loveLife website. loveLife receives funding from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, and the South African Government.– Booth number 144, Sunday July 11 – Thursday July 15.