Health Care on a Budget: An Analysis of Spending by Medicare Households
This report examines Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket health care costs, which comprise a significant share of their household expenses.
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This report examines Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket health care costs, which comprise a significant share of their household expenses.
These issue briefs examine coverage of the nearly 9 million "dual eligibles," the low-income elderly and persons with disabilities who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. The reports explore the national and state impacts of shifting the financing of selected services for dual eligibles from Medicaid to Medicare, and provide state-level Medicaid spending and enrollment data related to this population. The policy options studied could collectively provide tens of billions of dollars in annual…
This issue brief examines coverage of the nearly 9 million "dual eligible" beneficiaries, the low-income elderly and persons with disabilities who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid. It explores the national and state impacts of shifting the financing of selected services for dual eligibles from Medicaid to Medicare, including having the federal government pick up the full cost of Medicare premiums, cost-sharing and gaps in Medicare-covered services and long-term care services for this population.…
The Kaiser Family Foundation maintains a number of primers providing overviews of key health care programs and issues. Written by Foundation staff, each primer provides key data and information that helps illustrate the topic and its relevance for the nation's health care system. Medicaid: A Primer Medicare: A Primer The Uninsured: A Primer Health Care Costs: A Primer How Private Health Coverage Works: A Primer Mental Health Financing in the United States: A Primer The…
Health Affairs Article: Florida's Medicaid Reform: Informed Consumer Choice? Florida's Medicaid reform program aims to encourage consumer choice and market competition by giving health plans new authority to vary benefits and having enrollees choose among the different plans. However, about three in 10 enrollees were not aware that they needed to make this health plan choice and over half of those who were aware reported difficulty making a plan choice, according to a Health Affairs…
Florida Medicaid Reform Waiver: Early Findings and Current Status This policy brief provides an overview of the Florida Medicaid reform and a summary of available research findings to date from various evaluators of the program. It was issued at the same time as a separate Health Affairs article highlighting findings from Kaiser Family Foundation's 2006-2007 Survey of Florida Medicaid Beneficiaries. The Foundation, in collaboration with the Urban Institute and the University of Florida, is conducting…
Consumer Direction of Personal Assistance Services Programs in Medicaid: Insights from Enrollees in Four States Medicaid consumer direction of personal assistance services (CD-PAS) is a growing trend. Although overall enrollment in these programs is small, 42 states offered consumer direction in Medicaid in 2006. These programs allow Medicaid beneficiaries control over hiring, scheduling, training and paying of personal care attendants. This report is based focus groups with enrollees in CD-PAS programs in the four states…
Consumer Direction of Personal Assistance Services in Medicaid: A Review of Four State Programs Medicaid consumer direction of personal assistance services (CD-PAS) is a growing trend. Although overall enrollment in these programs is small, 42 states offered consumer direction in Medicaid in 2006. These programs allow Medicaid beneficiaries control over hiring, scheduling, training and paying of personal care attendants. This report is based on interviews with program administrators from the four states profiled: California, Colorado,…
Diane Rowland testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health about Medicaid’s development as a vital source of coverage for people with disabilities and its current role providing coverage and access to health services and supports for this population. Testimony (.pdf)
This report examines the structure and impact of Medicaid’s role in long-term care. Based on a roundtable discussion of policy makers and experts and drawn from a body of health services research, the report highlights policy challenges facing the Medicaid program today and identifies issues in providing long-term care going forward. By gathering evidence to address key policy issues, such as integrating services, benefit design, quality monitoring and financing, the report can serve as a…
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