Premiums and Cost Sharing Features in Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Program, 2006 April 30, 2006 Issue Brief Premiums and Cost-Sharing Features in Medicare's New Prescription Drug Program, 2006When Congress created the Medicare drug benefit in 2003, it also sought to generate more private plan options for senior and disabled beneficiaries in Medicare, with increased payments to attract sponsors and to support added benefits attractive to enrollees, especially…
The Growth of Private Plans in Medicare, 2006 February 28, 2006 Issue Brief , details the different types of private plan options available to people on Medicare. These include Medicare Advantage plans (such as Medicare HMOs, PPOs and private fee-for-service plans) and new stand-alone prescription drug plans.• In 2006, all Medicare beneficiaries have access to at least one type of private Medicare Advantage…
Profile and Analysis of the 26 Medicare Advantage Regions February 28, 2005 Issue Brief This issue brief examines the 26 new Medicare Advantage PPO regions and their implications for beneficiaries. The paper describes the characteristics of the new Medicare Advantage regions and the extent to which Medicare Advantage plans are already available in each region. It highlights the substantial gap between the current availability…
Summary of Final Regulations Implementing the New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit January 31, 2005 Issue Brief This document summarizes the final regulations to implement the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. The regulations were published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as a final rule in the Jan. 28 Federal Register. It provides an overview that allows interested parties to obtain information about specific…
Marketing and Privacy Issues: An Analysis of the MMA and Proposed Regulations September 2, 2004 Issue Brief This paper, by Joy Pritts of the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University, looks at issues related to drug plan marketing activities and privacy under the MMA.Issue Brief (.pdf)
Grievance and Appeals Procedures: An Analysis of the MMA and Proposed Regulations September 1, 2004 Issue Brief This paper, by Sara Rosenbaum, J.D., Director of the Center for Health Services Research and Policy at George Washington University, examines the procedures for resolving beneficiaries' grievances and appeals under the new Medicare drug benefit. It is one in a series commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation that analyzes issues…
What’s in the Stars? Quality Ratings of Medicare Advantage Plans, 2010 November 29, 2009 Issue Brief NEW: Foundation brief looks at implications of 2011 quality ratings for Medicare Advantage plans. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rates the relative quality of the private plans that are offered to Medicare beneficiaries through the Medicare Advantage program as a way of aiding beneficiaries who are considering…
Study Finds Advertising By Insurers Favors Medicare Advantage Over Stand-Alone Drug Plans August 31, 2008 Issue Brief As the marketing period for 2009 Medicare plans nears, the Kaiser Family Foundation Kaiser Family Foundation issued a report analyzing the content and frequency of television, print and radio advertisement for private Medicare plans that ran nationally or in one of three local media markets (Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Phoenix, Ariz.;…
Private Fee-For-Service Plans In Medicare: Rapid Growth and Future Implications May 1, 2007 Event Kaiser Family Foundation Vice President Patricia Neuman, Ph.D., testified May 2007 before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health on the rapid growth of private fee-for-service plans in the Medicare program and its implications for seniors and people with disabilities. Dr. Neuman is director of the Foundation’s Medicare Policy…
Issue Briefs Describe Changes in Private Plan Market and Effects on Medicare Beneficiaries February 28, 2006 Issue Brief These two issue briefs describe the different types of private plan options available to people on Medicare, identify key characteristics of the organizations offering the new Medicare drug benefit, and analyze how companies are positioning themselves to attract Medicare enrollees.The Growth of Private Plans in Medicare, 2006The Landscape of Private…
