Medicare Part D Data Spotlight: A First Look at Part D Plan Offerings in 2012 September 30, 2011 Report This data spotlight examines the stand-alone Part D drug plan options available to Medicare beneficiaries in 2012. Medicare beneficiaries will, on average, be able to choose from 31 stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to choose from, a new Kaiser analysis finds. Average premiums would increase by 4 percent…
Special Needs Plans: Availability and Enrollment September 9, 2011 Report Special Needs Plans are a form of Medicare Advantage plan authorized to provide a managed care option for beneficiaries with significant or relatively specialized care needs, including Medicare beneficiaries who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, beneficiaries living in nursing homes or other institutions, and beneficiaries with severe chronic…
Hispanics and the New Medicare Drug Benefit October 31, 2005 Poll Finding In a few short weeks, Medicare will undergo big changes that will have a major impact on more than 3 million Hispanic seniors and younger people with permanent disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health coverage. More than one in three Hispanics with Medicare lack coverage for their prescription…
Medicare Part D 2010 Data Spotlight: Benefit Design and Cost Sharing November 30, 2009 Report The Medicare Modernization Act established a defined standard drug benefit for Part D stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs) and Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plans, while giving plans flexibility to offer alternative benefit designs. Only about one in 10 PDPs offer the standard benefit in 2010. Plan sponsors can offer…
Explaining Health Care Reform: How Do Health Care Costs Vary By Region? November 30, 2009 Issue Brief Although regional variations in health spending have been studied for decades, there is renewed focus on this issue because of the role of health care costs in health care reform and the potential source of funds if addressing cost variations can yield savings. This explainer examines what is known about…
An Implementation Perspective on Part D, the Medicare Prescription Drug Program November 30, 2005 Report This focus group of 12 state Medicaid officials conducted in November 2005 explores the current status and likely results of the Part D dual eligible transition efforts as well as other Part D-related issues of particular importance to states. It includes discussion of the transition of dual eligibles from Medicaid…
Prospects for Retiree Health Benefits as Medicare Drug Coverage Begins – Report November 29, 2005 Report Prospects for Retiree Health Benefits as Medicare Drug Coverage Begins:Findings from the Kaiser/Hewitt 2005 Survey on Retiree Health Benefits – ReportThis report assesses how large businesses that provide retiree health benefits to their workers are responding to the new Medicare drug benefit in 2006, their plans for the future, and…
The Medicare Drug Benefit: Beneficiary Perspectives Just Before Implementation – Toplines October 31, 2005 Poll Finding These toplines provide the complete results from a comprehensive survey of seniors on their understanding of and views toward the Medicare drug benefit. The survey of 802 seniors was conducted in late October 2005, prior to the start of the benefit’s open enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 15, 2005…
The Exceptions and Appeals Process: Issues and Concerns in Obtaining Coverage Under the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit October 30, 2005 Issue Brief This issue brief describes how Medicare beneficiaries navigate the Medicare Part D exceptions, appeals, and grievances processes to get access to medically necessary prescriptions not covered under their Medicare prescription drug plans. It identifies and describes policy issues that may make it difficult for beneficiaries to utilize the processes.Issue Brief…
The Swing States and Medicare September 1, 2012 Poll Finding The latest partnership poll from The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation explores attitudes towards Medicare among registered voters in three swing states — Florida, Virginia, and Ohio. While the economy remains the top issue, in each state about four in ten voters say Medicare is an extremely important…