Toplines: June 2006 Kaiser Health Poll Report July 1, 2006 Poll Finding These toplines include selected findings from the June 2006 Kaiser Health Poll Report Survey, a bimonthly survey designed to provide key tracking information on public opinion about health care topics.Toplines (.pdf)
Medicare Prescription Drug Enrollment Update June 2, 2006 Issue Brief Medicare Drug Benefit Enrollment UpdateThis enrollment update breaks down and explains the statistics related to enrollment under the new Medicare drug benefit and the separate low-income subsidy program that provides additional assistance. The enrollment update summarizes the latest enrollment figures released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and…
Retired Steelworkers and Their Health Benefits: Results from a 2004 Survey May 2, 2006 Report This Kaiser survey report looks at how the bankruptcies of two steel companies, the LTV Corporation and Bethlehem Steel, affected health coverage for the companies' retirees and dependents. The bankruptcies left about 200,000 retirees and spouses without retiree health coverage in 2002 and 2003. The report provides insight into the…
Premiums and Cost Sharing Features in Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Program, 2006 April 30, 2006 Issue Brief Premiums and Cost-Sharing Features in Medicare's New Prescription Drug Program, 2006When Congress created the Medicare drug benefit in 2003, it also sought to generate more private plan options for senior and disabled beneficiaries in Medicare, with increased payments to attract sponsors and to support added benefits attractive to enrollees, especially…
Toward Making Medicare Work for Low-Income Beneficiaries: A Baseline Comparison of the Part D Low-Income Subsidy and Medicare Savings Programs Eligibility and Enrollment Rules April 30, 2006 Report Toward Making Medicare Work for Low-Income Beneficiaries: A Baseline Comparison of the Part D Low-Income Subsidy and Medicare Savings Programs Eligibility and Enrollment RulesThis report examines how the low-income provisions of the Medicare drug benefit interact with state-level assistance provided through the Medicare Savings Program.The Medicare drug benefit provides additional…
Observations on the Initial Implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Program: Perspectives of State Medicaid Directors Through a Focus Group Discussion April 30, 2006 Report Observations on the Initial Implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Program: Perspectives of State Medicaid Directors Through a Focus Group DiscussionMedicaid directors express the need to continue to focus on the interaction between Medicaid and the Medicare prescription drug benefit and to address the key system and coordination issues that…
Dual Eligibles and Medicare Part D April 30, 2006 Issue Brief This snapshot summarizes the latest information and policy issues about the enrollment of dual eligibles into the Medicare prescription drug benefit.Issue Brief (.pdf)
Transitions 2006 April 30, 2006 Video On January 1, 2006, the six million Americans who are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid saw a change in how their prescription drugs are covered. The dual eligible population was transitioned from Medicaid into the Medicare prescription drug benefit. As a group, these beneficiaries are poorer and sicker than…
The Stability of Medicaid Coverage for Low-Income Dually Eligible Medicare Beneficiaries April 29, 2006 Report This report examines the stability of dual eligibility for the seven million Americans who rely on Medicaid to fill the gaps in their Medicare coverage and its implications for Medicare's new prescription drug benefits. The analysis focuses on the duration of dual eligibility, the rates of gain and loss of…
Voices of Beneficiaries: Early Experiences with the Medicare Drug Benefit April 1, 2006 Report The Medicare Modernization Act established a voluntary prescription drug benefit for Medicare’s elderly and disabled beneficiaries provided by private plans that is open to all beneficiaries.This paper focuses on the decision-making process and the factors that influence decisions about Medicare drug plans, as well as beneficiaries’ early experiences and future…