Medicare

Medicare Open Enrollment

Medicare Advantage Plan Availability Varies Widely by County for 2027

Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan (MA-PD) availability varies widely by county in 2027, with a modest reduction in the share of enrollees with more than 40 plans to choose from and some major insurers exiting many more counties than they are entering. 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries (20%) can choose from among more than 40 MA-PDs for 2027, down from 27% in 2026. 1% of all beneficiaries will have no plan option for 2027.

Medicare Open Enrollment and Coverage Options: Key Questions and Answers

Each year, Medicare beneficiaries have an opportunity to make changes to how they receive their Medicare coverage during the nearly 8-week annual open enrollment period, which runs from October 15 through December 7. This brief answers key questions about the Medicare open enrollment period and Medicare coverage options.

Medigap

Medigap Guaranteed Issue Requirements: An Overview of Federal and State Rules

This issue brief analyzes federal and state rules related to guaranteed issue requirements for Medigap policies and how they impact beneficiaries’ access to Medigap, including the implications for Medicare beneficiaries with pre-existing medical conditions and those under age 65 with long-term disabilities.

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

Decoding Medicare Advantage Coding Intensity

Federal payments to Medicare Advantage plans, and adjustments for health status, have come under increased scrutiny. This brief answers key questions about coding intensity, recent steps taken by CMS, the effects on beneficiaries, and other proposals to improve payment accuracy.

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. Explore 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.

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  • The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Hit People of Color the Hardest, Including Among People With Medicare

    News Release

    The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the stark racial and ethnic health inequities in the U.S., including among Medicare beneficiaries. Among this group, people of color, including older adults and others on Medicare, account for disproportionate shares of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, according to data presented in a new KFF report about racial and ethnic disparities in health among people with Medicare. Older Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native adults were nearly twice as likely…

  • Is the End of the Long-Term Care Crisis Within Sight? New COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Long-Term Care Facilities Are Dropping

    Policy Watch

    This analysis compares trends in new COVID-19 cases and deaths among nursing facility residents with trends in all other new COVID-19 cases and deaths excluding nursing facility residents through February 7, 2021. This analysis shows a marked divergence in new cases and deaths per week between nursing facility residents and the rest of the US population since December 2020. This drop in new deaths and cases in nursing facility residents coincides with the start of…

  • Si mi empleador ofrece beneficios de salud para jubilados, ¿debo inscribirme en Medicare cuando cumpla 65 años?

    FAQs

    Para la mayoría de las personas con beneficios de salud para jubilados (o retirados), tiene sentido inscribirse en Medicare cuando sea elegible por primera vez. Los planes de salud para retirados generalmente están diseñados para complementar Medicare, y es posible que no paguen sus costos médicos durante cualquier período en el que fue elegible para Medicare pero no se inscribió en el programa. Debe revisar cualquier información provista por su empleador para asegurarse que entiende…

  • The Basics of Medicare and Medicaid

    Issue Brief

    Together, Medicare and Medicaid provide health coverage to about 90 million Americans. To help explain the two programs, the Kaiser Family Foundation issued a new primer on the Medicare program and an updated version of its primer on the Medicaid program. Prepared by Kaiser staff, the primers provide an overview of the programs, who they serve, how the programs work and how they are financed. Medicare: A Primer Medicaid: A Primer

  • Medicare Advantage 2010 Data Spotlight: Benefits and Cost-Sharing

    Issue Brief

    This data spotlight examines trends in benefits and cost-sharing for Medicare Advantage plans in 2010, including the wide variations found across plans and the rapid increase in cost sharing requirements for some benefits, including stays in skilled nursing facilities. It also examines the annual limits on out-of-pocket spending set by most Medicare Advantage plans and the availability of coverage for drugs in the Medicare drug benefit's coverage gap, or "doughnut hole." This data spotlight is…

  • In All But Four States, Seniors on Medicare Can Be Denied a Medigap Policy Due to Pre-existing Conditions, Except During Specified Windows of Opportunity

    News Release

    In all but four states, insurance companies can deny private Medigap insurance policies to seniors after their initial enrollment in Medicare because of a pre-existing medical condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, except under limited, qualifying circumstances, a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis finds. Medigap policies provide supplemental health insurance to help cover the deductibles and coinsurance for Medicare covered services. One in four people in traditional Medicare had a Medigap policy in 2015. This…

  • Making Medicare Work Better

    Report

    This report by the Institute for Medicare Practice at Mount Sinai School of Medicine takes a hard look at the operational challenges facing Medicare and considers incremental, structural changes to improve the management of the Medicare program from the standpoint of beneficiaries and providers. Based on interviews with key experts and Medicare stakeholders including representatives of beneficiaries, hospitals, physicians and other providers of care, as well as current and former Congressional and Administration staff, the…

  • Welfare Reform and Elderly Legal Immigrants

    Other Post

    Economic Status of the Elderly Legal Immigrant conomic status, especially in old age, is often dependent on a lifetime of choices and opportunities. Retirement income is directly dependent on previous labor force experiences, savings, and thehealth and insurance coverage of family members. Good health and high educational attainment tend toresult in better employment opportunities, a greater likelihood of a pension, and increased prospects forsaving. Poor health, the death of a spouse, lack of education, or…