Seniors - Research and Data from KFF

Millions of People with Medicare Will Benefit from the New Out-of-Pocket Drug Spending Cap Over Time

Feb 8, 2024

Issue Brief

In 2025, Medicare beneficiaries will pay no more than $2,000 out of pocket for prescription drugs covered under Part D, Medicare’s outpatient drug benefit, due to a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This analysis examines how many Medicare Part D enrollees spent $2,000 or more out of pocket in 2021 and over multiple years, both nationally and at the state level, to show how many people over time could benefit from the new Part D spending cap.

Low Incomes, Little Savings: Many Medicare Beneficiaries Have Modest Financial Resources to Draw Upon in Retirement

Feb 5, 2024

News Release

A new KFF analysis shows that most Medicare beneficiaries live on relatively low incomes and have modest financial resources for retirement – posing a risk to their economic well-being, particularly if they were to have a major, unanticipated expense, such as a need for long-term nursing home care.

Florida’s Plan to Import Prescription Drugs from Canada, the First of its Kind, May Face Obstacles that Could Delay Implementation and Savings

Jan 12, 2024

News Release

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.

What to Know About the FDA’s Recent Decision to Allow Florida to Import Prescription Drugs from Canada

Jan 12, 2024

Policy Watch

Florida’s plan to import certain prescription drugs from Canada represents the first time the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted authority for a state to safely import prescription drugs from another country. This policy watch analysis unpacks some frequently asked questions related to state of Florida’s importation plan, including potential obstacles to implementation, who will benefit from any savings, and what types of drugs will (and will not) qualify for importation.

Who Uses Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports?

Dec 14, 2023

Issue Brief

This analysis examines the characteristics of Medicaid enrollees who use Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS), how enrollees who use LTSS differ from those who do not use these services, and how enrollees who use different types of LTSS differ from each other.

How are States Implementing New Requirements for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services?

Dec 13, 2023

Issue Brief

In January 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule that created new requirements for Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS) programs. This issue brief describes the settings rule, implementation of the rule across states and HCBS waivers, and what to watch as implementation continues.

The New Help for Medicare Beneficiaries with High Drug Costs That Few Seem to Know About

Dec 12, 2023

Policy Watch

This policy watch highlights a change coming to the Medicare Part D drug benefit that will cap Part D enrollees' out-of-pocket drug costs, beginning in 2024, resulting in savings of thousands of dollars for high-cost drugs - a change that recent KFF tracking poll results show few older adults know about.

A Look at Waiting Lists for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services from 2016 to 2023

Nov 29, 2023

Issue Brief

This data note provides new information about waiting lists from KFF’s most recent survey of state Medicaid HCBS programs, including a discussion of why waiting lists are an incomplete measure of unmet need and why they are not necessarily comparable across states or over time.

Waiting for Care: Three-Fourths of States Have Waiting Lists for Some Medicaid Home Care Programs

Nov 29, 2023

News Release

In a new analysis of survey data from state Medicaid home care programs, KFF found that in most years since 2016, there have been nearly 700,000 people on waiting or interest lists for expanded home and community-based services (HCBS), with a total of 692,000 across 38 states in 2023 and waiting lists averaging three years.

Medicare Advantage 2024 Spotlight: First Look

Nov 15, 2023

Issue Brief

For 2024, the average Medicare beneficiary has access to 43 Medicare Advantage plans and can choose from plans offered by 8 firms. Among the majority of Medicare Advantage plans that cover prescription drugs, 66 percent will charge no premium in addition to the monthly Medicare Part B premium. As in previous years, the vast majority of Medicare Advantage plans will offer supplemental benefits, including fitness, dental, vision, and hearing benefits.

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