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Although Medicare is a national program, there are substantial variations across states and regions in terms of beneficiary characteristics, health needs, and utilization of Medicare-covered services. Likewise, there are also considerable differences in Medicare spending and the emergence of Medicare managed care.
The Medicare beneficiary population is often described in homogenous terms, yet those covered by the program vary significantly in terms of their health, income, supplemental insurance status, and medical service use.
As part of The Faces of Medicare, a collection of fact sheets profiling the characteristics and health needs of different groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and the Under-65 Disabled highlights key information about Medicare's under-65 disabled, whose disproportionately high rates of health and cognitive problems are compounded by low incomes.
Medicare Beneficiaries: A Population at RiskFindings from the Kaiser/Commonwealth Fund 1997 Survey of Medicare Beneficiaries Charts for Medicare Beneficiaries: A Population at Risk Part 2 Cathy Schoen, Patricia Neuman, Michelle Kitchman, Karen Davis, and Diane RowlandDecember 1998 Table Of Contents List of Charts Chart 16 Problems Paying Medical Bills, by Health and Functional Status Chart…
Low-income assistance is a key feature of the Medicare prescription drug proposals passed by the House (H.R. 1) and the Senate (S.1).
Medicaid Programs to Assist Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries: Outreach and Enrollment in Medicare Savings Programs A new study examines five states' efforts to bolster enrollment in their Medicare Savings Programs for Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for Medicaid assistance with their premiums and co-insurance.
Medicaid's Role for Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries An overview that identifies low-income Medicare beneficiaries (dual eligibles), how Medicaid can provide care for them, and the challenges to accessing care.
This report presents findings from a study of large private-sector employers conducted by researchers at Hewitt Associates and the Kaiser Family Foundation between July and September of 2002.
This brief examines the role of Medicaid in providing health coverage to the 9.6 million Medicare beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicaid. The brief explains the role Medicaid plays in providing supplemental coverage to fill in the gaps in Medicare’s coverage for these dual-eligible beneficiaries.
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.
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