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This comprehensive survey of people on Medicare assesses their attitudes toward the new Medicare drug law. The survey provides detailed insight in their perceptions and opinions about the law, the Medicare-approved drug-discount card program and the new Medicare drug benefit set to begin in January 2006. It also assesses views on the law’s implications for the 2004 elections. Summary/Chartpack (.pdf)
Note: Estimates are rounded to the nearest whole number, therefore do not sum to total. (1) Includes Veterans Administration, Indian Health Service, employer plans without retiree subsidies, employer plans for active workers, and state pharmaceutical assistance programs. (2) Includes employer/union, FEHB, and TRICARE coverage. (3) Approximately 0.5 million dual eligibles are enrolled in Medicare Advantage drug plans and are reported in this category. Source: HHS, January 30, 2007. Data as of January 16, 2007.
Topline findings from the May/June 2004 Kaiser Health Poll Report survey, including knowledge and opinions about the new Medicare prescription drug law. Survey Toplines (.pdf)
Three new reports focus on one of the biggest challenges in the implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act, the transitioning of drug coverage for individuals dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, who now get their drug coverage from Medicaid, to the new Medicare benefit. The New Medicare Prescription Drug Law: Issues for Enrolling Dual Eligibles into Drug Plans Medicare's New Prescription Drug Benefit: The Voices of People Dually Covered by Medicare and Medicaid Implications of…
Premiums and Cost-Sharing Features in Medicare's New Prescription Drug Program, 2006 When 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 in rural and other areas that previously had few such plans. The effects of these changes and additional payments are particularly visible this year,…
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…
This Medicare Part D data spotlight focuses on the use of specialty tiers for high-cost and injectible drugs in Medicare Prescription Drug Plans in 2008. It finds that the number of plans with specialty tiers has nearly doubled since 2006. It also looks at the drugs assigned to specialty tiers, the beneficiary cost sharing structure, and policy implications such higher out-of-pocket expenses and selection issues among beneficiaries who evaluate plans based on cost sharing. This…
Spending on prescription drugs in the U.S. rose at a faster clip in 2009 than spending for hospital and physician care, a trend that is expected to continue through 2020. The desire to get a handle on drug spending is a focus not only in the U.S. but in other countries as well. What are some strategies used in our country and in the UK, Germany and France to control pharmaceutical spending? How well are…
A new KFF policy watch explains some of the hurdles the state of Florida still must clear before it can implement its novel plan to make some prescription drugs more affordable by importing them from Canada. Florida’s plan represents the first time the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted authority for a state to safely import prescription drugs from another country. However, the state must take some additional steps to move forward with the…
This post was updated to clarify that less than 10% of the nation's total health spending is spent on retail prescription drugs and does not include spending on drugs administrated by physicians or in hospitals.Prescription drug costs are a top concern for the American public. While retail prescription drugs represent less than 10% of total U.S. health spending and are not the primary driver of the nation’s high health costs, Americans often pay more for…
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