Medicare Part D

Medicare Drug Benefit Enrollment UpdateThis enrollment update breaks down and explains the statistics related to enrollment under the new Medicare drug benefit and the separate low-income subsidy program that provides additional assistance. The enrollment update summarizes the latest enrollment figures released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and…

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…

Toward Making Medicare Work for Low-Income Beneficiaries: A Baseline Comparison of the Part D Low-Income Subsidy and Medicare Savings Programs Eligibility and Enrollment RulesThis report examines how the low-income provisions of the Medicare drug benefit interact with state-level assistance provided through the Medicare Savings Program.The Medicare drug benefit provides additional…

Observations on the Initial Implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Program: Perspectives of State Medicaid Directors Through a Focus Group DiscussionMedicaid directors express the need to continue to focus on the interaction between Medicaid and the Medicare prescription drug benefit and to address the key system and coordination issues that…

On January 1, 2006, the six million Americans who are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid saw a change in how their prescription drugs are covered. The dual eligible population was transitioned from Medicaid into the Medicare prescription drug benefit. As a group, these beneficiaries are poorer and sicker than…

This report examines the stability of dual eligibility for the seven million Americans who rely on Medicaid to fill the gaps in their Medicare coverage and its implications for Medicare's new prescription drug benefits. The analysis focuses on the duration of dual eligibility, the rates of gain and loss of…

The Medicare Modernization Act established a voluntary prescription drug benefit for Medicare’s elderly and disabled beneficiaries provided by private plans that is open to all beneficiaries.This paper focuses on the decision-making process and the factors that influence decisions about Medicare drug plans, as well as beneficiaries’ early experiences and future…

Chartpack: Seniors’ Early Experiences with the Medicare Prescription Drug BenefitThese charts highlight key data from the April 2006 tracking poll on seniors’ early experiences with the new Medicare drug benefit.Chartpack (.pdf)

Kaiser Health Poll Report Survey: Seniors’ Early Experiences with the Medicare Prescription Drug BenefitThis April 2006 tracking poll finds that most seniors enrolled in a Medicare drug plan are satisfied with their plan and are not having trouble getting the drugs they need. Most seniors enrolled in plans reported filling…

Toplines: Seniors’ Early Experiences with the Medicare Prescription Drug BenefitThese toplines contain the detailed results from the April 2006 tracking poll on seniors’ early experiences with the new Medicare drug benefit.Toplines (.pdf)