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Published in the journal Health Affairs, this analysis compared measures of access to care, cost concerns, and satisfaction with care for beneficiaries younger than age sixty-five versus those ages sixty-five and older, using the 2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.
This issue brief notes that more counties lack Medicare Advantage plans than are at risk of not having an Affordable Care Act marketplace insurer next year. It examines the overlap between the counties without Medicare Advantage or marketplace insurers and assesses some of the potential reasons why such counties have trouble attracting insurers.
This report takes an in-depth look at Medicare Advantage plans’ physician networks. The analysis draws upon data from 391 Medicare Advantage plans serving beneficiaries in 20 diverse counties in 2015. The report examines the size and composition of plans’ physician networks, the variation across counties, the inclusion of physicians by specialty, and the relationship between network size and other plan features, such as premiums and quality star ratings.
This report examines similarities and differences in federal consumer protection standards for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, Qualified Health Plans (QHPs), and Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). It focuses on rules established at the federal level, though some states have chosen to go above the federal minimums and impose additional requirements for QHPs and Medicaid MCOs.
This issue brief provides an overview of Medicare, the health insurance program for people ages 65 and over and younger people with long-term disabilities. The brief review the characteristics of people on Medicare, what Medicare covers, benefit gaps and supplemental coverage, beneficiaries' out-of-pocket health care spending, program spending and financing, payment and delivery system reform, and issues for the future of Medicare.
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 enrolling in such a private plan. CMS rates Medicare Advantage plans on a one to five-star scale, with five stars representing the highest quality. This…
As Republican policymakers consider how to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), they are likely to face a number of decisions about whether to retain any of the law’s changes to Medicare. Repealing the ACA has potential implications for Medicare spending, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation brief. A full repeal of the ACA would undo all of the law’s changes to Medicare and would increase Medicare spending,…
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 provisions of the law. The summary was prepared by Health Policy Alternatives Inc. on behalf of the Kaiser Family Foundation. Issue Brief (.pdf)
Health Affairs Article Examines Enrollment in Medicare Drug Plans As The Benefit Approaches Its Second Year An article by Kaiser Family Foundation researchers published as a Health Affairs Web Exclusive provides a comprehensive look at the 2006 private Medicare drug plan enrollment as the enrollment period for 2007 begins. The article examines organization- and plan-level market share, as well as enrollment by type of plan, benefit design, and gap coverage. Health Affairs Web Exclusive (free…
New: Medicare Advantage Plan Star Ratings and Bonus Payments in 2012 In 2012, Medicare Advantage plans will be awarded additional payments based on their quality ratings as a result of the 2010 health reform law. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a demonstration that would modify the quality-based payments for plans, providing additional payments for 2012 to 2014. This policy brief by the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the quality ratings of private…
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