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  • Kaiser Health Poll Report Survey: Seniors’ Early Experiences with Their New Medicare Drug Plans – June 2006

    Poll Finding

    Kaiser Health Poll Report Survey: Seniors' Early Experiences With Their New Medicare Drug Plans - June 2006 More than eight in 10 seniors who are enrolled in a Medicare drug plan are satisfied with their plan, although almost two in 10 say they encountered a major problem in using it, according to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation tracking survey of seniors' experiences under the new Medicare drug benefit. The survey of 1,585 seniors, including 623…

  • Benefit Design and Formularies of Medicare Drug Plans: A Comparison of 2006 and 2007 Offerings

    Report

    This analysis provides a profile of the 2007 Medicare Part D stand-alone drug plans that are being offered to the program’s 43 million beneficiaries for 2007 and highlights some of the changes in plans between 2006 and 2007. It looks at premiums, covered drugs, the amount enrollees pay to fill a prescription, and other key features that would affect out-of-pocket costs and access to drugs for people with Medicare. The report describes the 1,875 stand-alone…

  • Medicare Payments and Beneficiary Costs for Prescription Drug Coverage

    Issue Brief

    This March 2007 issue brief, commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation, provides a basic introduction to the reimbursement system for private Medicare drug plans. It explains the system of plan bidding and payment, including the special provisions for low-income enrollees, and considers how aspects of the payment system may affect the total cost of the drug benefit over time, the cost of coverage for beneficiaries and the variety and quality of available plans. Mark Merlis…

  • Additional Help with Rx Drug Costs For Low-Income People on Medicare

    Other Post

    Additional Help with Prescription Drug Costs For Low-Income People on Medicare (For 2007 Benefits and Cost-Sharing) As of 2007, Medicare helps pay for outpatient prescription drugs. Medicare provides additional help with drug costs to beneficiaries who qualify based on low incomes and limited resources. The information below describes the different levels of assistance available to people who meet the eligibility requirements. People on Medicare Who Also Have Full Medicaid Benefits (Dual Eligibles) pay: No premium…

  • The Effect of Formularies and Other Cost Management Tools on Access to Medications: An Analysis of the MMA and Proposed Regulations

    Issue Brief

    This paper, by John F. Hoadley, Ph.D., of the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University, examines how formulary designs and other cost-management tools may affect Medicare beneficiaries’ access to medications through their Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. It is one in a series commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation that analyzes issues surrounding the implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) and the proposed regulations. Issue Brief (.pdf)

  • Summary of the Proposed Rule to Implement the New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit

    Issue Brief

    In August 2004, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a proposed rule to implement the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Title I of the Medicare Modernization Act). Given the high level of interest in the proposed rules for implementing the Medicare drug benefit, the Kaiser Family Foundation commissioned Health Policy Alternatives, Inc. to prepare this summary of the proposed regulations. Issue Brief (.pdf)

  • The Impact of Cost Sharing on Appropriate Utilization and Health Status: A Review of the Literature on Seniors

    Other Post

    The Impact of Cost-Sharing on Appropriate Utilization and Health Status: A Review of the Literature on Seniors This article provides a review of research that has addressed the impact of patient cost-sharing on the use of health care services and subsequent health status for those ages 65 and older. Twenty-two studies are reviewed -- 16 focusing on cost-sharing for prescription drugs and 6 on cost-sharing for medical services. The article concludes that most studies examined…

  • Kaiser Family Foundation/ Harvard School of Public Health Medicare Prescription Drug Survey

    Report

    A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health examines public opinion on the current Medicare prescription drug debate. The survey, a follow-up to a broader, more comprehensive survey released in June 2003 about the Medicare program and proposed changes, finds that a majority of seniors want Congress to pass Medicare prescription drug legislation this year, but most worry that they will still pay too much for drugs even if…