The Medicare Drug Benefit: Beneficiary Perspectives Just Before Implementation October 31, 2005 Poll Finding This comprehensive survey of seniors about the Medicare drug benefit finds that many seniors remain uncertain about how the new benefit will affect them and unsure about whether they will enroll. Seniors who say they understand the benefit well are more likely to report favorable views than those who do…
Displaced by Hurricane Katrina: Issues and Options for Medicare Beneficiaries October 31, 2005 Issue Brief An estimated 200,000 Medicare beneficiaries were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Medicare played a key role in meeting the health care needs of the elderly and disabled beneficiaries who were displaced by the hurricane. Many of these beneficiaries face new challenges as a direct result of the hurricane. This issue brief…
State Financing of the Medicare Drug Benefit: New Data on the “Clawback” October 31, 2005 Issue Brief State Financing of the Medicare Drug Benefit: New Data on the “Clawback”Beginning in 2006, states will be obligated to finance part of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit via a monthly “clawback” payment to the federal government. This issue update analyzes the latest data and provides an overview of the…
Financing Health Coverage: The Fiscal Relief Experience October 30, 2005 Issue Brief Financing Health Coverage: The Fiscal Relief ExperienceThis paper provides an overview of the context which prompted federal fiscal relief to the states in 2003 and discusses the implications of this experiment in federal intervention for financing the Medicaid program. Policy Brief (.pdf)
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…
New Reports Profile the Growing Uninsured Population and Portray the Health Care Safety Net as Increasingly Strained October 30, 2005 Event Five Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured reports released at a policy briefing profile the growing uninsured population and portray the health care safety net as increasingly strained to meet uninsured people’s needs. News Release Covering the Uninsured: Growing Need, Strained Resources Federal Spending on the Health Care Safety…
Medicare Part D: Issues for Dual Eligibles on the Eve of Implementation October 30, 2005 Issue Brief Medicare Part D: Issues for Dual Eligibles on the Eve of ImplementationThis issue brief describes how dual eligibles are treated under the Medicare drug benefit and the issues raised by their transition from Medicaid to Medicare drug coverage. The brief also explores key differences in the Medicare drug benefit compared…
Threadbare: Holes in America’s Health Care Safety Net October 30, 2005 Report Threadbare: Holes in America’s Health Care Safety NetThis report describes the impact of coverage gaps in our safety net through the perspectives of those who provide care to the uninsured and first-hand accounts of the uninsured who are seeking care. Report (.pdf)
Are Immigrants Responsible for Most of the Growth of the Uninsured? October 30, 2005 Issue Brief This analysis examines how much immigrants are contributing to the increasing uninsured population from 1994 to 2003. Issue Brief (.pdf)Executive Summary (.pdf)
Federal Spending on the Health Care Safety Net from 2001-2004: Has Spending Kept Pace with the Growth in the Uninsured? October 30, 2005 Report Federal Spending on the Health Care Safety Net from 2001-2004: Has Spending Kept Pace with the Growth in the Uninsured?This report examines federal spending on the health care safety net and finds that it has not kept pace with the growth in the uninsured from 2001 to 2004. Report (.pdf)Executive…