Medicare

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

What to Know About Medicare Coverage of Telehealth

Congress has repeatedly extended pandemic-era flexibilities around Medicare coverage of telehealth, but most such flexibilities remain temporary. This brief answers key questions about the current scope of Medicare telehealth coverage, including both temporary and permanent changes adopted through legislation and regulation, and future policy considerations.

Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program Enhance Some Consumer Protections But Roll Back Others

CMS recently finalized policies as part of the 2027 Medicare Advantage final rule that both enhance consumer protections and roll back changes to the Medicare Advantage program that were intended to protect consumers. These changes have gotten less attention than payment issues and changes to the star ratings system, which also affect plan payments, but could have implications for Medicare beneficiaries.

Examining the Potential Impact of Medicare’s New WISeR Model

A federal initiative to establish new prior authorization requirements in traditional Medicare, called the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model, is likely to have only modest impact in its first year.

State Profiles for Dual-Eligible Individuals

This data collection draws on Medicare and Medicaid administrative data to present national and state-level information on people who are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid, referred to as dual-eligible individuals (also known as dually-enrolled beneficiaries).

Data Visualization

The Facts About Medicare Spending

This interactive provides the facts on Medicare spending. Medicare, which serves 67 million people and accounts for 12 percent of the federal budget and 21 percent of national health spending, is often the focus of discussions about health expenditures, health care affordability and the sustainability of federal health programs. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eExplore 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 by beneficiaries.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/faqs-on-medicare-financing-and-trust-fund-solvency/u0022 data-type=u0022linku0022 data-id=u0022https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/faqs-on-medicare-financing-and-trust-fund-solvency/u0022u003eRelated:u003ca href=u0022https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/faqs-on-medicare-financing-and-trust-fund-solvency/u0022u003e FAQs on Medicare Financing and Trust Fund Solvencyu003c/au003eu003c/au003e

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  • The Budget: What Would You Cut?

    Perspective

    As President Obama and Congress begin to hash out the 2012 budget, it is a good time to revisit results from our January 2011 survey showing that in spite of the fact that most Americans report being very concerned about the budget deficit, there is little public support for major reductions across a number of program areas. Majorities said they would not support any reductions in Social Security (64 percent), public education (63 percent), or…

  • Betting on Private Insurers

    Perspective

    Just-released estimates of national health spending in 2010 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) show that 45% of our health care spending is financed by the federal and state governments, primarily through the Medicare and Medicaid programs. This share has grown temporarily in recent years because of the economic downturn, as private insurance has declined and Medicaid has grown. It has also increased due to our demographic destiny: the growing cohort of baby…

  • Poll: Majorities Favor a Range of Options to Expand Public Coverage, Including Medicare-for-All

    News Release

    At a time when debate is beginning about a national Medicare-for-all plan and other approaches to expanding coverage through public programs, this month’s KFF Health Tracking poll examines Americans’ early opinion on a range of options under consideration. The poll finds majority support for four different approaches: 77 percent of the public, including most Republican (69%), favor allowing people between the ages of 50 to 64 to buy health insurance through Medicare; 75 percent, including…

  • 10 Key Facts About Women with Medicare

    Issue Brief

    This brief examines 10 key facts about women with Medicare and presents new statistics on the health, economic and functional status of women with Medicare.

  • Overall Satisfaction with Medicare is High, But Beneficiaries Under Age 65 With Disabilities Experience More Insurance Problems Than Older Beneficiaries

    Issue Brief

    This brief analyzes data from the 2023 KFF Survey of Consumer Experiences with Health Insurance to get a current understanding of how Medicare is working for older adults and younger people with disabilities. The analysis shows that people with Medicare who are under 65 with disabilities experience more problems using their Medicare coverage, including access and cost-related problems, than beneficiaries who are 65 and older.

  • I am covered by Medicare and my only income is $12,000 from Social Security. I have $1,000 in a savings account.  Do I qualify for any financial assistance with her Medicare coverage?

    FAQs

    Based on your current income and asset amounts, you may qualify for Medicaid. Under the current rules, Medicaid helps many low-income people on Medicare with their Medicare premiums and cost-sharing requirements and may also cover some benefits that are not covered by Medicare, such as dental services and long-term services and supports. You might also qualify for extra financial assistance to help with the cost of Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. To find out…

  • There are a lot of Medicare Advantage plan options in my area. How do I decide which plan is best for me?

    FAQs

    In choosing among the many Medicare Advantage plans, it is useful to think about what’s most important to you in a health plan. If you feel strongly about getting care from specific doctors and hospitals, it would be a good idea to review the provider directories of each Medicare Advantage plan to be sure the hospitals, doctors, and other health professionals that matter most to you are in the plan network. If you are most…

  • I am turning 65 next year. When can I sign up for Medicare?

    FAQs

    If you are eligible for Medicare, your initial enrollment period for Part A and Part B begins three months before the month of your 65th birthday and ends three months after it. For example, if your 65th birthday is in June, your enrollment period will extend from March 1 through September 30. If you join during one of the 3 months before you turn 65, coverage will begin the first day of the month you…