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This report is a case study of Minnesota's efforts to increase enrollment in their Medicare Savings Programs under Medicaid for low-income Medicare beneficiaries. Background Paper
This snapshot summarizes the latest information and policy issues about the enrollment of dual eligibles into the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Issue Brief (.pdf)
Medicare's Role for Latinos Fact Sheet: The Medicare Program: Medicare's Role For Latinos
This initial analysis examines the private stand-alone Part D drug plans will be available to Medicare beneficiaries in 2011 and provides an early look at key trends in the options, premiums, and other plan characteristics. It finds that the average Medicare beneficiary will have a choice of 33 Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans in 2011, despite a 30 percent reduction in the total number of stand-alone plans available nationwide. Monthly premiums for stand-alone prescription…
This 50-state survey of Medicaid officials assesses states’ early experience relating to the transition of low-income seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare (dual eligibles) to the Medicare Part D drug benefit. Conducted by Health Management Associates, the survey covers the types of problems observed by states during the transition of dual eligibles to the Medicare drug benefit, state actions to correct problems and ensure temporary coverage, and specific data on…
Implications of the New Medicare Law for Dual Eligibles: 10 Key Questions and Answers This publication is designed to provide a more detailed explanation of the change in drug coverage policy for dual eligibles under the new Medicare law, as well as explore its implications for the individuals affected by it. Issue Paper (.pdf)
This one page document summarizes the provisions in the new Medicare law that deal with providing financial subsidies to low-income beneficiaries for their drug coverage. Issue Paper (.pdf)
Issues Surrounding the “Clawback” or State Contributions Towards Medicare Drug Coverage: A Conference Call Discussion As part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 signed into law last year, Congress included a financing provision that requires a monthly payment from each state to the Medicare program beginning in January 2006. MMA’s clawback provision will recapture most of the savings that states would realize when Medicare assumes prescription drug costs for…
About 9 million low-income seniors and younger people with disabilities in the United States are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid. This brief examines the role of Medicare in providing health coverage for these beneficiaries. Medicare is the primary source of health insurance, while Medicaid provides supplemental coverage, helping with premiums and cost-sharing and paying for services not covered by Medicare. This brief examines overall and per capita Medicare spending for these beneficiaries, including variations…
These Foundation resources shed light on how the ongoing national debate about deficit reduction may affect Medicare, Medicaid and other health-care programs. These resources include analysis of specific savings proposals, polling on the public’s views of deficit-reduction options, summaries and comparisons of relevant elements of major deficit-reduction plans, and explanatory briefs and backgrounders describing key issues related to the debate. Drew Altman: The News Media and Entitlement Reform Medicare-Specific Analysis Policy Options to Sustain…
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