Money Follows the Person: An Early Implementation Snapshot June 19, 2009 Issue Brief This issue brief examines the early successes and challenges of the Money Follows the Person Demonstration (MFP), a Medicaid initiative enacted into law in 2006 that gives states enhanced federal support to balance their Medicaid long-term care programs by providing more services in the community and fewer in institutional settings.…
Health Care on a Budget: An Analysis of Spending by Medicare Households February 28, 2009 Report This report examines Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket health care costs, which comprise a significant share of their household expenses.
Rethinking Medicaid’s Financing Role for Medicare Enrollees January 31, 2009 Issue Brief 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…
Reports Analyze Cost and Coverage of People Eligible for Both Medicaid and Medicare and Options for Reforming Financing of Their Care January 31, 2009 Issue Brief 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…
Primers on Key Health Care Topics and Programs December 1, 2008 Issue Brief 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…
Medicare Part D 2009 Data Spotlight: Low-Income Subsidy Plan Availability October 30, 2008 Issue Brief This Medicare Part D Data Spotlight focuses on the availability of drug plans for beneficiaries receiving the Part D low-income subsidy in 2009 and changes since 2006. For 2009, fewer than one in five plans qualify for automatic or facilitated enrollment of low-income subsidy beneficiaries, the lowest share since the…
Benefit improvements for low-income Medicare beneficiaries September 1, 2007 Report Benefit Improvements for Low-Income Medicare BeneficiariesThe Kaiser Family Foundation has prepared a summary showing how the House-passed Children’s Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act legislation would change current law regarding assistance for low-income Medicare beneficiaries. The summary describes proposed changes to current programs that provide assistance to low-income Medicare beneficiaries,…
Findings from the Kaiser/Commonwealth/Tufts-New England Medical Center 2006 National Survey of Seniors and Prescription Drugs – Chartpack August 1, 2007 Report This chartpack contains key data from the Kaiser/Commonwealth/Tufts-New England Medical Center 2006 National Survey of Seniors and Prescription Drugs. Findings of the survey were published in a Health Affairs Web Exclusive on Aug. 21, 2007. Chartpack (.pdf)
Perspectives on Medicare Part D and Dual Eligibles: Key Informants’ Views From Three States April 30, 2007 Report In 2006, low-income individuals receiving health coverage through both the Medicaid and Medicare programs, “dual eligibles,” experienced a change in their prescription drug benefit when their Medicaid prescription coverage was replaced by the Medicare prescription drug program known as Medicare Part D. This study provides information on the ongoing successes…
The Impact of Part D on Dual Eligibles Who Spend-Down to Medicaid April 30, 2007 Issue Brief Individuals with incomes exceeding thresholds for regular Medicaid eligibility may qualify under state medically needy programs by spending down excess income on healthcare services. For the vulnerable population of Medicare beneficiaries who spend down to Medicaid, the Part D transition has added additional complexities that may result in disruptions in…
