View the Latest: Seniors
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How Medicare’s New Drug Price Negotiation Program Could Expand Access to Selected Drugs
Issue BriefThis brief examines how Part D enrollees’ access to and utilization of the first set of 10 selected drugs could be affected by the new Part D coverage and formulary requirements for selected drugs established by the Inflation Reduction Act and in CMS guidance, as well as the potential for lower out-of-pocket costs.
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End of Pandemic-Era Policies in Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services Could Challenge Family Caregivers and Enrollees
News ReleaseFamily 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.
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Pandemic-Era Changes to Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS): A Closer Look at Family Caregiver Policies
Issue BriefDrawing 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.
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About 1 in 5 Nursing Facilities Would Currently Meet Proposed Requirements for Nursing Staff Hours
News ReleaseEighty-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.
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What Share of Nursing Facilities Might Meet Proposed New Requirements for Nursing Staff Hours?
Issue BriefThis 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.
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How Many People Use Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports and How Much Does Medicaid Spend on Those People?
Issue BriefKFF 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.
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Key Facts About Medicare Part D Enrollment and Costs in 2023
Issue BriefThe 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.
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New Alzheimer’s Drugs Spark Hope for Patients and Cost Concerns for Medicare
Policy WatchThe 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.
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What is the Potential Impact of New Drugs for Obesity and Alzheimer’s Disease on Medicare Costs, Coverage and Beneficiaries?
News ReleaseTwo 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.