Financial Incentives in the Long-Term Care Context: A First Look at Relevant Information September 30, 2010 Report Financial Incentives in the Long-Term Care Context: A First Look at Relevant Information This report reviews Medicare’s payment policies as they may affect medical care for residents in long-term care environments, including a look at the financial incentives that could play a role in hospital and skilled nursing facility admissions.…
The Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy Program: Experience to Date and Policy Issues for Consideration September 1, 2010 Issue Brief This policy brief examines the low-income subsidy program that provides premiums and cost-sharing assistance under Part D plans, documenting trends in both beneficiary and plan participation over time. With fewer plans available to low-income enrollees without having to pay a premium, and annual changes in those plans, the brief discusses…
Medicare Part D 2010 Data Spotlight: Coverage of Top Brand-Name and Specialty Drugs August 31, 2010 Issue Brief This Part D Data Spotlight documents the wide variations across the private stand-alone drug plans with respect to coverage of drugs, what enrollees pay for those drugs, and restrictions and limitations placed on their use. These variations have potentially significant implications for beneficiaries’ access to medications and out-of-pocket costs. The…
Medicare Part D 2010 Data Spotlights August 31, 2010 Issue Brief The Kaiser Family Foundation has issued a collection of analyses related to the Part D Medicare stand-alone drug plan options available to seniors for calendar year 2010. Each of these spotlights focuses on a key aspect of the drug plans that will be available to Medicare beneficiaries in 2010 and…
Medicare Prescription Drug Plans In 2010 and Key Changes Over Five Years August 31, 2010 Issue Brief This brief summarizes key findings from the full collection of 2010 Part D Data Spotlights examining key trends in the private stand-alone drug plans available to Medicare beneficiaries. The spotlight is one in a series analyzing key aspects of the Medicare Part D drug plans that will be available to…
Quality Ratings of Medicare Advantage Plans: Key Changes in the Health Reform Law and 2010 Enrollment Data August 30, 2010 Issue Brief NEW: Foundation brief looks at implications of 2011 quality ratings for Medicare Advantage plans. This Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief examines the key changes in this year’s health reform law that will reward bonuses to private Medicare Advantage plans based on quality rating. Medicare currently rates plans on a five-star…
State Medicaid Agencies Prepare for Health Care Reform While Continuing to Face Challenges from the Recession August 1, 2010 Issue Brief This report, based on discussions with leading state Medicaid directors in May 2010, examines how Medicaid agencies are preparing for a lead role in implementing health reform while continuing to deal with the impact of the recession. The report augments the most recent annual Medicaid budget survey report, released in…
Chronic Disease and Co-Morbidity Among Dual Eligibles: Implications for Patterns of Medicaid and Medicare Service Use and Spending July 1, 2010 Report The health reform law contains provisions that aim to improve the delivery and coordination of services for persons enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare, known as the dual eligibles. This population includes individuals with some of the most severely disabling chronic conditions. While the higher costs associated with services to…
Health Reform Issues: Key Issues About State Financing and Medicaid May 28, 2010 Issue Brief This updated issue brief from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured examines key issues related to state financing and the expansion of the Medicaid program under the new health reform law. Issue Brief (.pdf)
Pulling It Together: Predicting the Future May 4, 2010 Perspective A fair amount of attention was given recently to projections made by the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) about the new health reform law, and how they compare to previous estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). No doubt the various projections will be…