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  • Understanding The Effects of The Medicare Part D Coverage Gap in 2008 and 2009

    Report

    This Kaiser Family Foundation study examines how the coverage gap in Medicare’s drug benefit known as the “doughnut hole” affects Medicare beneficiaries and their prescribing patterns. Based on actual claims data from 2008 and 2009, before the 2010 health reform law began to close the gap, the study finds that most Part D enrollees with high drug costs who fall in the gap one year are likely to do so in future years. Enrollees who…

  • Reaching for the Stars: Quality Ratings of Medicare Advantage Plans, 2011

    Issue Brief

    New: Medicare Advantage Plan Star Ratings and Bonus Payments in 2012 In 2012, Medicare Advantage plans will be awarded additional payments based on their quality ratings as a result of the 2010 health reform law. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a demonstration that would modify the quality-based payments for plans, providing additional payments for 2012 to 2014. This policy brief by the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the quality ratings of private…

  • A Primer on Medicare Financing

    Issue Brief

    As Congress and the Administration increasingly focus on the nation’s budget deficit, many policy experts and several bipartisan deficit reduction panels have proposed significant changes to Medicare to reduce federal spending and address rising health care costs. This primer provides an overview of Medicare spending trends, how the program is financed, and factors contributing to the growth in Medicare spending. Medicare now covers 47 million seniors and younger people with disabilities, with total expenditures of…

  • Snapshots: Health Benefit Offer Rates and Employee Earnings

    Issue Brief

    Employer-provided health insurance is the primary source of insurance coverage in the United States, covering almost 160 million people.1 About 90 percent of the non-elderly privately-insured population is covered by employer-sponsored plans, meaning that employer decisions about whether to offer health benefits will influence overall rates of insurance coverage in the United States.  Sixty-nine percent of all firms offered health benefits to their employees in 2010.2 It is well-known that highly-paid workers are more likely to…

  • Medicare Chartbook, 2010

    Report

    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)

  • Medicare Advantage 2011 Data Spotlight: Plan Availability and Premiums

    Report

      This Medicare Advantage Data Spotlight provides an overview of recent changes made to the Medicare Advantage program and examines trends in plan participation, premiums and certain benefits. About 12 million people, or nearly a quarter of the Medicare population, are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, the privately administered plans that are an alternative to the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program. The analysis was conducted by a team researchers at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. and the Kaiser…

  • Medicare Part D Spotlight: Part D Plan Availability in 2011 and Key Changes Since 2006

    Report

    This initial analysis examines the private stand-alone Part D drug plans will be available to Medicare beneficiaries in 2011 and provides an early look at key trends in the options, premiums, and other plan characteristics. It finds that the average Medicare beneficiary will have a choice of 33 Part D stand-alone prescription drug plans in 2011, despite a 30 percent reduction in the total number of stand-alone plans available nationwide. Monthly premiums for stand-alone prescription…

  • Snapshots: Trends in Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Offer Rates for Workers in Private Businesses

    Issue Brief

    Most Americans receive their health insurance through their own job or the job of a family member; an offer of coverage at work is an important determinant of the likelihood of having private health insurance. This analysis examines the percentage of nonelderly, full-time adult workers (age 18 through 64) in private firms who were offered health insurance at their current primary job and how that changed over the period from 1995 to 2005. The condition…

  • Briefing on State Medicaid Programs, the Recession and Health Reform

    Event Date:
    Event

    The Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) held a 9:30 a.m. ET briefing on Thursday, September 30 to examine the challenges facing states as they continue to struggle with the lingering impacts of the recession and begin preparing to implement health reform. Three reports were released at the event: Hoping for Economic Recovery, Preparing for Reform: A Look at Medicaid Spending, Coverage and Policy Trends: Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget…

  • The Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy Program: Experience to Date and Policy Issues for Consideration

    Issue Brief

    This policy brief examines the low-income subsidy program that provides premiums and cost-sharing assistance under Part D plans, documenting trends in both beneficiary and plan participation over time. With fewer plans available to low-income enrollees without having to pay a premium, and annual changes in those plans, the brief discusses challenges facing low-income Part D enrollees and strategies that could be used to increase the effectiveness of the subsidy program. It was prepared for the…