Medicare Part D Spotlight: Part D Plan Availability in 2010 and Key Changes Since 2006

This Medicare Part D data spotlight examines the stand-alone Medicare drug plan options that will be available to beneficiaries in 2010, including the number of available plans, premiums for those plans, and benefit designs. About two-thirds of the nearly 27 million Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in Part D plans get their coverage through stand-alone plans.

The analysis is based on the 2010 Medicare drug plan information released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Oct. 1, 2009. The analysis was conducted jointly by Jack Hoadley and Laura Summer of Georgetown University, Juliette Cubanski and Tricia Neuman of the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Elizabeth Hargrave of NORC at the University of Chicago.

Issue Brief (.pdf)