Key Facts About Medicare Beneficiaries in Rural Areas
This brief highlights key facts about Medicare beneficiaries living in rural areas, including their demographic and health characteristics, access to care, and satisfaction with care.
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Which Federal Agencies Make Medicare Work and How Were They Affected by Recent Changes Made by the Trump Administration?
Issue BriefThis brief highlights some of the key federal agencies and offices that play a role in making Medicare work and, to the extent possible, describes the recent staffing and organizational changes made by the Trump administration that could affect the operations of Medicare in the future.
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What to Know About the Older Americans Act and the Services it Provides to Older Adults
Issue BriefThe Trump administration is proposing a reorganization and staffing cuts at HHS that create uncertainty about the potential effects on older adults, who receive services authorized under the Older Americans Act. This brief provides an overview of programs and services provided under the Older Americans Act, the role played by the Administration for Community Living in administering these programs, and trends in program funding and service utilization by older adults.
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Congressional District Interactive Map: People with Medicare and Medicaid (Dual-Eligible Individuals)
Issue BriefThe interactive maps illustrate how many people are enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid in each congressional district, including the number of people receiving full Medicaid and partial Medicaid benefits.
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5 Questions About the Idea of Default Enrollment into Medicare Advantage Plans
Issue BriefThis brief considers how default enrollment into Medicare Advantage might work, potential challenges with this approach, and implications for beneficiaries, insurers, providers, agents and brokers, and the federal budget.
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Medicare Advantage Insurers Often Use Rewards and Incentives to Encourage Enrollees to Complete Health Risk Assessments (HRAs)
Issue BriefThis analysis examines the share of Medicare Advantage enrollees in contracts (which usually include multiple plans) that offered rewards or incentives for completing health risk assessments (HRAs) in 2023, as well as differences across Medicare Advantage insurers.
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Stand-Alone Drug Plans Cover a Larger Share of Medicare Part D Enrollees Living in the Most Rural Areas Than Medicare Advantage Plans
Issue BriefTo understand the role of Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans in serving rural Medicare beneficiaries, this data note analyzes 2025 Part D enrollment in PDPs and Medicare Advantage drug plans by geographic area nationally and at the state level.
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The Effect of Delaying the Selection of Small Molecule Drugs for Medicare Drug Price Negotiation
Policy WatchIn a new Trump administration executive order, the Secretary of HHS is directed to work with Congress to implement a change in law to delay negotiation of so-called “small molecule” drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act's Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program for an additional 4 years. This brief analyzes how many of the drugs previously selected for negotiation would not have been eligible if this policy had been in place at the time.
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Most People in the Most Rural Counties Get Medicare Coverage from Traditional Medicare
Issue BriefWhile enrollment in Medicare Advantage, the private plan alternative to traditional Medicare, has grown steadily over the past decade, traditional Medicare remains the most common source of coverage for people who live in rural areas.
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Medicare Program Integrity and Efforts to Root Out Improper Payments, Fraud, Waste and Abuse
Issue BriefThis brief explains fraud, waste, abuse, and improper payments in Medicare and describes actions to ensure Medicare program integrity.