Prescription Drugs: Medicare - Kaiser Family Foundation

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Prescription Drugs: Medicare

2009 Medicare Part D Data Spotlights
The Kaiser Family Foundation has issued a series of six data spotlights, including a summary of findings, examining key aspects of the drug plans available to Medicare beneficiaries in 2009 and relevant trends since the Medicare drug benefit took effect in 2006.

Medicare in Health Reform
The Kaiser Family Foundation has prepared comparisons to the Medicare provisions in the key health reform legislation now working through Congress. Other issue briefs examine the implications of an independent Medicare rate-setting commission and provide historical context for the legislation's proposed Medicare savings.

Recent Documents: (170 results)

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The Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit - An Updated Fact Sheet -- November 2009
This updated fact sheet includes the latest information and data about the Medicare Drug Benefit, including a breakdown of the standard benefit, enrollment data and an update on additional low-income assistance.

Medicare Advantage Fact Sheet -- November 2009
This updated fact sheet provides an overview of the Medicare Advantage program, describes program changes made by the new drug law in plan participation and beneficiary enrollment, presents data on benefits and premiums, and explains changes in Medicare payments to participating plans.

Medicare Part D Spotlight: Part D Plan Availability in 2010 and Key Changes Since 2006 -- November 2009
This initial analysis examines the stand-alone Medicare drug plan options that will be available to beneficiaries in 2010, including the number of available, premiums for those plans, and benefit designs.

Side-by-Side Comparison of Key Medicare Provisions in 2009 Health Reform Legislation -- November 2009
This brief describes the major Medicare provisions relating to benefit changes, Medicare Advantage, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, physician and other provider payment reforms, and other health system reforms in the Senate Finance proposal and the House Tri-Committee bill.

Examining Sources of Supplemental Insurance and Prescription Drug Coverage Among Medicare Beneficiaries: Findings from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2007 -- August 2009
This chartpack presents new information on the sources of supplemental and prescription drug coverage among Medicare beneficiaries in 2007, the most recent year for which national data are available.

A Primer on Medicare Financing -- July 2009
This primer provides an overview of Medicare’s financing, examines several methods of assessing the program’s long-term financial outlook, and looks at various policy options under discussion to control costs both for Medicare and for the nation's overall health care system.

Medicare Prescription Drug Plans in 2009 and Key Changes Since 2006: Summary of Findings -- June 2009
This report summarizes findings from a series of Medicare Part D 2009 Data Spotlights documenting changes in drug coverage and costs since 2006 and finds, in many ways, beneficiaries over time are paying more for less generous benefits.

Medicare Part D 2009 Data Spotlight: Ten Most Common Brand-Name Drugs -- June 2009
This Data Spotlight focuses on Part D plan coverage of the ten brand-name drugs that were most commonly prescribed for Medicare beneficiaries in 2006 and lack generic equivalents in 2009.

Medicare Part D 2009 Data Spotlight: Specialty Tiers -- June 2009
This Data Spotlight examines use of the specialty tier in Medicare Part D drug plans, including the numbers and kinds of drugs included on specialty tiers and what beneficiaries pay for those drugs.

Medicare Spending and Financing Fact Sheet -- May 2009
This updated fact sheet provides an overview of spending on the Medicare program, how the program is financed, and Medicare’s future financial outlook. It includes the latest available data on Medicare financing.

This updated fact sheet includes the latest information and data about the Medicare Drug Benefit, including a breakdown of the standard benefit, enrollment data and an update on additional low-income assistance.

This updated fact sheet provides an overview of the Medicare Advantage program, describes program changes made by the new drug law in plan participation and beneficiary enrollment, presents data on benefits and premiums, and explains changes in Medicare payments to participating plans.

This initial analysis examines the stand-alone Medicare drug plan options that will be available to beneficiaries in 2010, including the number of available, premiums for those plans, and benefit designs.

This brief describes the major Medicare provisions relating to benefit changes, Medicare Advantage, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, physician and other provider payment reforms, and other health system reforms in the Senate Finance proposal and the House Tri-Committee bill.

This chartpack presents new information on the sources of supplemental and prescription drug coverage among Medicare beneficiaries in 2007, the most recent year for which national data are available.

This primer provides an overview of Medicare’s financing, examines several methods of assessing the program’s long-term financial outlook, and looks at various policy options under discussion to control costs both for Medicare and for the nation's overall health care system.

This report summarizes findings from a series of Medicare Part D 2009 Data Spotlights documenting changes in drug coverage and costs since 2006 and finds, in many ways, beneficiaries over time are paying more for less generous benefits.

This Data Spotlight focuses on Part D plan coverage of the ten brand-name drugs that were most commonly prescribed for Medicare beneficiaries in 2006 and lack generic equivalents in 2009.

This Data Spotlight examines use of the specialty tier in Medicare Part D drug plans, including the numbers and kinds of drugs included on specialty tiers and what beneficiaries pay for those drugs.

This updated fact sheet provides an overview of spending on the Medicare program, how the program is financed, and Medicare’s future financial outlook. It includes the latest available data on Medicare financing.

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Prescription Drugs: Medicare

Prescription drug use increases with age along with the prevalence of chronic and acute health problems. However, because Medicare does not cover outpatient prescription drugs, 38% of seniors and younger beneficiaries with disabilities had no drug coverage in the Fall of 1999. Rising drug costs pose challenges for Medicare beneficiaries, who tend to use more medications (averaging 23 per year in 1999) than do younger adults. The Congressional Budget Office projects that total drug spending for the Medicare population will grow from $95 billion in 2003 to $284 billion in 2013, increasing at an average annual rate of over 10% and totaling $1.8 trillion (2004-2013).