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Medicare has launched a temporary program covering GLP-1s for obesity for people with Medicare, known as the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge. This analysis estimates the number of Medicare Part D enrollees who could potentially qualify for the Bridge program by meeting all of the eligibility criteria, based on claims data from 2023.
This chartbook provides the most recent and reliable data available about the Medicare program and the 47 million seniors and younger people with disabilities who get health insurance coverage through the program. Topics covered include: Medicare beneficiaries; the program's benefits, utilization, and access to care; prescription drugs; the Medicare Advantage program; the role of Medicaid for Medicare beneficiaries; supplemental insurance coverage; out-of-pocket spending; and Medicare spending and financing. Printable Chartbook (.pdf)
Findings from the Kaiser/Hewitt 2005 Survey on Retiree Health Benefits The 2005 Kaiser/Hewitt survey of large businesses that provide retiree health benefits to their workers assesses their responses to the new Medicare drug benefit in 2006, their plans for the future, and the way these changes affect retirees. It also looks at the rising costs and changing benefits of retiree health coverage overall in 2005. News Release Report Chartpack Materials from the December 7, 2005…
This report examines the potential savings for employers who currently represent the largest source of drug coverage for seniors. The study finds substantial savings for large employers under comprehensive Medicare prescription drug proposals ranging from $5-8.5 billion in 2003 to $10-$15 billion in 2009. It also finds that the majority of large employers are likely to retain retiree coverage, as a supplement to a Medicare drug benefit. Report
This issue brief describes the impact of H.R.1's 10-year delay in implementing provisions in two Medicaid eligibility rules that would have reduced red tape. The delayed rules are projected to decrease federal spending and future Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and increase coverage loss.
This brief focuses on the stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan marketplace and its somewhat uncertain future, in light of recent trends in plan availability and the potential for another year of premium increases in 2026, in part depending on what the Trump administration decides to do with the temporary Part D premium stabilization demonstration. The brief explains why the stability of the PDP market matters, both for people in traditional Medicare who want…
With Medicare Part D nearing the end of its tenth year, the program -- which now provides drug coverage to 72 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries -- has experienced no growth in average premiums in recent years but some notable increases in cost-sharing, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. At a time of heightened public concern about the cost of prescription drugs, the report, Medicare Part D at Ten Years: The…
Without these extra subsidies in place for 2027, some Part D stand-alone drug plan (PDP) enrollees could see a larger premium increase for drug coverage next year than they’ve faced in recent years, though plan-specific premium amounts are not yet known. While some policymakers questioned the rationale for and cost of the premium stabilization demonstration, which totaled $9.8 billion in 2025 and 2026, the extra subsidies worked as intended to stabilize year-over-year PDP premium increases…
This issue briefs lays out 10 reasons why Medicare Advantage enrollment has been growing and why we can expect more growth in the years to come.
Health News Index May/June, 2000 The May/June 2000 edition of the Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health, Health News Index includes questions about major health stories covered in the news, including questions about the Congressional Democrats' proposal to have the Medicare program cover prescription drug costs for the elderly. The survey is based on a national random sample of 580 Americans and was conducted May 26-June 4, 2000. The survey measures public knowledge of…
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