Brief Explains Why Medicare Part B Premiums Will Increase by 16 percent, not 52 percent, in 2016 for 3 in 10 Beneficiaries Due to the Recent Budget Deal November 11, 2015 News Release As a result of the recently enacted budget deal in Congress, the 2016 Medicare Part B monthly premium will be $121.80, increasing by 16 percent over the 2015 amount—far lower than the increase initially projected by the Medicare actuaries, a new brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation explains. The Part…
What’s in Store for Medicare’s Part B Premiums and Deductible in 2016, and Why? November 11, 2015 Issue Brief As a result of the recently-enacted Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, the Medicare Part B monthly premium will be $121.80 in 2016 according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an increase of 16 percent over the 2015 amount for 30 percent of beneficiaries —far lower than the 52 percent increase initially projected by the Medicare actuaries. This Issue Brief reviews how Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles are affected by the recent budget deal (including the premium surcharge that covers the costs) and explains the connection between the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), Medicare premiums, and the “hold harmless” provision that will keep premiums flat for 70 percent of beneficiaries in 2016.
Health Care and the 2016 Debates November 11, 2015 News Release In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the lack of attention to health in the primary debates and last week’s Democratic forum in South Carolina. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available online.
Health Care and the 2016 Debates November 11, 2015 Perspective In this column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses the lack of attention to health in the primary debates and last week’s Democratic forum in South Carolina.
Round 2 on the Legal Challenges to Contraceptive Coverage: Are Nonprofits “Substantially Burdened” by the “Accommodation”? November 9, 2015 Issue Brief The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires most private health insurance plans to provide coverage for a broad range of preventive services including Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved prescription contraceptives and services for women. Since the implementation of the ACA contraceptive coverage requirement in 2012, over 200 corporations have filed lawsuits claiming that including coverage for contraceptives or opting for an “accommodation” from the federal government violates their religious beliefs. This brief explains the legal issues raised by the nonprofit litigation and discusses the impact of the Hobby Lobby decision on the current litigation.
The Role of Language in Health Care Access and Utilization for Insured Hispanic Adults November 9, 2015 Issue Brief The ACA coverage expansions may help mitigate some barriers people with limited English proficiency (LEP) face in accessing coverage and care. However, individuals with LEP may still face increased barriers to care with coverage. This analysis examines differences in health care experiences between English- and Spanish-speaking Hispanic adults with insurance using data from the 2014 Kaiser Survey of Low-Income Americans and the ACA.
One Year Later, Where Does the U.S. Response to Ebola Stand? November 9, 2015 Event The Ebola outbreak of 2014 was a global wake-up call regarding the ongoing threat of emerging infectious diseases. The U.S. government’s response included dispatching the military and Congress appropriating $5.4 billion in emergency funding, the majority of which was for international activities. Still, Ebola cases continue to occur in the…
State Demonstration Proposals to Integrate Care and Align Financing and/or Administration for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries November 9, 2015 Fact Sheet This map shows the current status of the state demonstration proposals to integrate care and align financing for beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Over 9.6 million seniors and younger people with significant disabilities are dually eligible for both programs, and as many as 2 million of them may be included in the demonstrations.
Kaiser Media Fellowships 2015 Wisconsin Site Visits November 6, 2015 Page In October 2015, the Foundation invited a group of journalists with a strong focus on health policy and state health reform to participate in a week-long fellowship program focused on health care in Wisconsin. The site visits in Milwaukee and Madison gave the journalists the opportunity to hear from a variety of…
Understanding Health Insurance November 5, 2015 Video The YouToons help consumers understand health insurance by explaining health insurance premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and provider networks. These three videos are excerpts from the 2014 YouToons video, Health Insurance Explained – The YouToons Have It Covered.