Seniors - Research and Data from KFF

End of Pandemic-Era Policies in Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services Could Challenge Family Caregivers and Enrollees

Sep 19, 2023

News Release

Family caregivers played a key role in supporting people who used Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS) during the COVID pandemic. Many states used new pandemic-era authorities to support and pay family caregivers and maintain services in other ways amid workforce shortages and other challenges. Now, several states are ending payments to family caregivers and unwinding other pandemic-era policies, which could complicate ongoing workforce shortages and create new challenges for enrollees, according to survey of…

Pandemic-Era Changes to Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS): A Closer Look at Family Caregiver Policies

Sep 19, 2023

Issue Brief

Drawing from KFF’s 50-state survey of state Medicaid HCBS officials, conducted between May and August of 2023, this issue brief describes how states used the PHE authorities to strengthen their HCBS programs, changes as the PHE ends, and the role of family caregivers in providing HCBS.

About 1 in 5 Nursing Facilities Would Currently Meet Proposed Requirements for Nursing Staff Hours

Sep 18, 2023

News Release

Eighty-one percent of nursing facilities would need to hire additional staff to comply with new nursing staff requirements that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed earlier this month, according to a new analysis from KFF. Under the proposed rule, 19% of nursing facilities would currently meet the minimum staff hours for registered nurses and nurse aides.A smaller share of for-profit facilities would meet the proposed staffing requirements. Compared to 60% of non-profit…

What Share of Nursing Facilities Might Meet Proposed New Requirements for Nursing Staff Hours?

Sep 18, 2023

Issue Brief

This issue brief analyzes the percentage and characteristics of facilities that would meet the rule’s proposed requirements for the minimum number of RN and nurse aide hours to better understand the implications of the rule.

How Many People Use Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports and How Much Does Medicaid Spend on Those People?

Aug 14, 2023

Issue Brief

KFF examines how many Medicaid enrollees used Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) for aging, illness, or disability in 2020, how much Medicaid spent on these enrollees, and policy issues to watch in the coming years.

Key Facts About Medicare Part D Enrollment and Costs in 2023

Jul 26, 2023

Issue Brief

The Medicare Part D program provides an outpatient prescription drug benefit to older adults and people with long-term disabilities in Medicare who enroll in private plans. This brief analyzes Medicare Part D enrollment and costs in 2023 and trends over time. The analysis highlights the substantial growth of Medicare Advantage drug plans in the marketplace for Part D drug coverage, where enrollment overall is concentrated in a handful of large plan sponsors.

New Alzheimer’s Drugs Spark Hope for Patients and Cost Concerns for Medicare

Jul 6, 2023

Policy Watch

The Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Leqembi, a new Alzheimer's drug, on July 6, 2023. This updated policy watch focuses on the implications of Medicare coverage of the drug for program spending as well as equity and affordability issues for beneficiaries, and the potential for the Inflation Reduction Act to address the spending impacts. It also covers additional details from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about patient registries.

What is the Potential Impact of New Drugs for Obesity and Alzheimer’s Disease on Medicare Costs, Coverage and Beneficiaries?

May 18, 2023

News Release

Two new KFF analyses examine the potential impact of Medicare coverage of new prescription drugs for obesity and Alzheimer’s disease on program spending and beneficiary out-of-pocket costs, as well as the role that the Inflation Reduction Act could play in mitigating these effects. Manufacturers of both types of drugs are lobbying for broad Medicare coverage of them, though they face different challenges. The availability of effective weight-loss drugs, including Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide)…

Changes to Medicare Part D in 2024 and 2025 Under the Inflation Reduction Act and How Enrollees Will Benefit

Apr 20, 2023

Issue Brief

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes several provisions to lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare and reduce drug spending by the federal government, including a number of changes to the Medicare Part D drug benefit. This brief provides an overview of the Part D benefit design and Part D enrollee cost-sharing requirements in 2023 and changes coming in 2024 and 2025.

Ending the Public Health Emergency for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services

Apr 19, 2023

Policy Watch

This policy watch explores the potential implications of ending the PHE for Medicaid HCBS programs.

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