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  • Medicaid Changes in House and Senate Reconciliation Bills Would Increase Costs for 1.3 Million Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries

    Issue Brief

    On May 22, the House passed a reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would partially pay to extend expiring tax cuts by cutting Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $793 billion over ten years and 10.3 million fewer people would be enrolled in Medicaid in 2034, including 1.3 million people with Medicare, otherwise known as “dual-eligible individuals”.

  • Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program Enhance Some Consumer Protections But Roll Back Others

    Issue Brief

    CMS recently finalized policies as part of the 2027 Medicare Advantage final rule that both enhance consumer protections and roll back changes to the Medicare Advantage program that were intended to protect consumers. These changes have gotten less attention than payment issues and changes to the star ratings system, which also affect plan payments, but could have implications for Medicare beneficiaries.

  • What to Know About Medicare Coverage of Telehealth

    Issue Brief

    Congress has repeatedly extended several pandemic-era flexibilities around Medicare coverage of telehealth, but with a few key exceptions most pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities remain temporary. This brief provides answers to key questions about the current scope of Medicare telehealth coverage, including both temporary and permanent changes adopted through legislation and regulation, and policy considerations that lie ahead.

  • Key Facts About Medicare Drug Price Negotiation

    Issue Brief

    Under the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, the federal government negotiates prices with drug companies for certain high-cost drugs covered under Medicare Part B and Part D. This brief provides information about several key aspects of the Medicare drug price negotiation program, with a focus on the 2028 implementation year.

  • Analyzing Changes in Medicare Part D Enrollment for 2026

    Issue Brief

    The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit is provided by private plans, either Medicare Advantage plans that offer drug coverage (MA-PDs) or, for those in traditional Medicare, stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs). New data from CMS shows that 56 million people are enrolled in Part D plans as of February 2026, with more in MA-PDs than PDPs, reflecting higher overall enrollment in Medicare Advantage than in traditional Medicare. Enrollment in group MA-PD plans decreased while…

  • How Will the Loss of Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Affect Older Adults?

    Issue Brief

    Adults ages 50 to 64 are disproportionately affected by the expiration of ACA enhanced premium tax credits because they make up a large number of Marketplace enrollees and premiums rise with age. Our analysis shows that older enrollees with moderate to higher incomes have been hit hardest.