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  • Analyzing Changes in Medicare Part D Enrollment for 2026

    Issue Brief

    The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit is provided by private plans, either Medicare Advantage plans that offer drug coverage (MA-PDs) or, for those in traditional Medicare, stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs). New data from CMS shows that 56 million people are enrolled in Part D plans as of February 2026, with more in MA-PDs than PDPs, reflecting higher overall enrollment in Medicare Advantage than in traditional Medicare. Enrollment in group MA-PD plans decreased while group PDP enrollment increased.

  • The IRA Has Improved Coverage of Drugs Selected for Medicare Price Negotiation

    Issue Brief

    The Medicare drug price negotiation program could improve coverage of drugs selected for negotiation for Medicare beneficiaries because the law requires all Medicare Part D plans to cover each of the selected drugs, including all dosages and forms, when negotiated prices take effect.
    This analysis examines 2026 Medicare Part D formulary coverage of drugs selected for negotiation to measure the effect of the IRA's coverage requirement.

  • Payment Rates for Medicaid Home Care Ahead of the 2025 Reconciliation Law

    Issue Brief

    Increased payment rates for Medicaid home care workers are states’ key approach to addressing workforce shortages. This issue brief describes Medicaid payment rates for home care and other workforce supports that are in place in 2025, before the majority of the 2025 reconciliation law provisions start taking effect.

  • number of responding states, including DC, that allow payments for family caregivers by type of home care program and type of caregiver.

    Medicaid’s Home Care Support for Family Caregivers in 2025

    Issue Brief

    Medicaid home care programs offer various supports to family caregivers such as paid caregiving, self-directed services, respite care, and caregiver training. This issue brief describes the availability of self-directed services and supports for family caregivers in Medicaid home care in 2025, before most provisions in the reconciliation law take effect.

  • Bar chart shows the number of states, including DC, offering Medicaid home care through various federal programs in 2025.

    Medicaid Home Care (HCBS) in 2025

    Issue Brief

    This issue brief provides an overview of what Medicaid home care (also known as “home- and community-based services” or HCBS) is, who is covered, and what services were available in 2025.

  • There Were 14,742 Certified Nursing Facilities in the U.S. in 2025

    A Look at Nursing Facility Characteristics in 2025

    Issue Brief

    This data note discusses the impact of the 2025 reconciliation law on nursing facilities and examines the characteristics of nursing facilities and the people living in them with data from Nursing Home Compare, a publicly available dataset.

  • Medicare Advantage 2026 Spotlight: A First Look at Plan Offerings

    Issue Brief

    This brief provides an overview of the Medicare Advantage plans that are available for 2026 and key trends over time. In 2026, the average Medicare beneficiary has a choice of 32 Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans, two fewer than the 34 in 2025. Virtually all Medicare Advantage plans for 2026 provide multiple extra benefits like vision, hearing, and dental benefits, similar to last year.

  • The Facts About Medicare Spending

    Interactive

    This interactive provides the facts on Medicare spending. Medicare, which serves 65 million people and accounts for 12 percent of the federal budget and 20 percent of national health spending, is at the heart of discussions about health expenditures and affordability. Explore data on enrollment growth, Medicare spending trends overall and per person, growth in Medicare spending relative to private insurance, spending on benefits and Medicare Advantage, Part A trust fund solvency challenges, and growth in out-of-pocket spending.