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Toplines: December 2005 Kaiser Health Poll Report These toplines provide the complete survey questions and responses to the December 2005 Kaiser Health Poll Report Survey, a bimonthly survey designed to provide key tracking information on public opinion about health care topics. The survey includes a series of questions on seniors' views of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. Survey Toplines (.pdf)
This report offers insights into Medicare beneficiaries’ experiences with the new drug benefit, based on observations of State Health Insurance Assistance Plan (SHIP) directors convened for a moderated focus group discussion. Because SHIP directors work closely with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and are on the front lines providing one-on-one counseling for beneficiaries who have questions or problems related to the new drug benefit, they are a key resource for understanding issues that…
This chartpack provides detailed information about Medicare beneficiaries’ enrollment in the many private drug plans available to them in 2007. The charts demonstrate that a relatively small number of companies which captured the most enrollees in 2006, the new benefit’s first year, continued to lead in market share in the current year. In addition, most enrollees in 2007 are in plans without gap coverage – with about 11.8 million people potentially at risk for reaching…
On March 30, 2009, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the 2010 “call letter,” which functions as a request for proposals to private health insurers and organizations that want to sponsor Medicare Advantage Plans or Medicare Prescription Drug Plans. This issue brief reviews the call letter — the first issued by the Obama Administration — and examines the implications for beneficiaries of some of the proposed changes, including its emphasis on accountability of health plan sponsors, promoting…
Most Medicare Part D prescription drug plans use tiers with different cost-sharing amounts for generic, preferred, and non-preferred drugs, and also include an additional “specialty” tier for very high cost and unique drugs. This 2009 Part D Data Spotlight examines use of the specialty tier, including the numbers and kinds of drugs included on specialty tiers, what beneficiaries pay for those drugs, and trends over time. The spotlight is one in a series analyzing key…
Medicare Part D helps cover the cost of outpatient prescription drugs for 27 million beneficiaries enrolled in private stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans. The majority of Part D enrollees pay a monthly premium for Medicare drug coverage. This data spotlight examines premiums for enrolling in Medicare's PDPs in 2010 and trends since 2006. The spotlight is one in a series analyzing key aspects of the Medicare Part D…
As policymakers consider ways to slow the growth in Medicare spending as part of broader efforts to reduce the federal debt or offset the cost of other spending priorities, some have proposed to increase beneficiary contributions through higher Medicare premiums. This issue brief explains provisions of current law that impose income-related premiums under Medicare Part B and Part D, describes recent proposals to modify these requirements, and analyzes the potential implications for the Medicare population.
This fact sheet, updated in April 2003, profiles current sources of prescription drug coverage among the Medicare population, describes the characteristics of beneficiaries who lack drug coverage and the implications of being without such coverage, and provides current data on prescription drug use and spending. Fact Sheet (.pdf)
Summary of Low-Income Subsidy Program in Final Medicare Bill This presentation summarizes the dual eligible population, the low-income provisions of the new Medicare drug benefit and discusses the impact on state Medicaid programs. Presentation Slides (.pdf)
These summaries, prepared by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., provide detailed information about the prescription drug provisions of the Medicare legislation (P.L. 108-173) signed by the President on December 8, 2003. Report (.pdf)
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