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This issue brief notes that more counties lack Medicare Advantage plans than are at risk of not having an Affordable Care Act marketplace insurer next year. It examines the overlap between the counties without Medicare Advantage or marketplace insurers and assesses some of the potential reasons why such counties have trouble attracting insurers.
This issue brief highlights a major implication of the American Health Care Act and Better Care Reconciliation Act for Medicare. Both bills would repeal the Affordable Care Act provision to increase the payroll tax on high-income earners. Repealing this surtax would move up the insolvency date of the Medicare Part A trust fund by 2 years, from 2028 to 2026, and also worsens the program's long-term financial outlook.
This Data Spotlight reviews national and state-level enrollment trends as of March 2017 and examines variation in enrollment by plan type and firm. It analyzes the most recent data on premiums, out-of-pocket limits, Part D cost-sharing for drugs, and plans’ quality ratings for Medicare Advantage enrollees.
This brief explains the key AHCA provisions that would reshape the private market to more closely resemble the pre-Affordable Care Act period, and the effects of these changes on adults ages 50-64. The brief also discusses how changes to Medicaid could affect older, low-income adults, and how an increase in the number of uninsured older adults could have implications for the Medicare program in the future.
Policymakers are currently considering proposals that would fundamentally change the structure and financing of Medicaid, and potentially affect 11 million people on Medicare. This brief discusses the potential implications of Medicaid per capita cap or block grant proposals for the 11 million low-income seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare. It also describes how the per capita cap model proposed in the American Health Care Act could potentially affect low-income people on Medicare who receive…
This Issue Brief describes the Medicare Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), which penalizes hospitals that have relatively higher readmission rates, analyzes the impact of this program on Medicare patients and hospitals, and discusses several issues that have been raised regarding its implementation.
Medicare, the nation’s federal health insurance program for 57 million people age 65 and over and younger people with disabilities, often plays a major role in federal health policy and budget discussions. Medicare is likely to be back on the federal policy agenda as Congress debates repealing and replacing the ACA, and also if policymakers turn their attention to reducing entitlement spending as part of efforts to reduce the growing federal budget deficit and debt.…
This infographic provides a snapshot of Medicare and end-of-life care in California.
The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) included many provisions affecting the Medicare program and the 57 million seniors and people with disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health insurance coverage. This brief explains the Medicare provisions in the ACA and explores the implications for Medicare and beneficiaries of repealing these provisions.
This issue brief explains provisions in current law that shield beneficiaries from unexpected and confusing charges when they see physicians and practitioners—namely, the participating provider program, limitation on balance billing, and conditions on private contracting for doctors who opt out of Medicare or join “concierge” practices. It also analyzes the implications of modifying these provisions for beneficiaries, providers, and the Medicare program.
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