Medicare

Chartpack: Seniors’ Early Experiences With Their New Medicare Drug Plans – June 2006These charts highlight key data from the June 2006 tracking poll on seniors’ early enrollment experiences with the Medicare drug benefit.Chartpack (.pdf)

Kaiser Health Poll Report Survey: Seniors’ Early Experiences With Their New Medicare Drug Plans – June 2006More than eight in 10 seniors who are enrolled in a Medicare drug plan are satisfied with their plan, although almost two in 10 say they encountered a major problem in using it, according…

These toplines include selected findings from the June 2006 Kaiser Health Poll Report Survey, a bimonthly survey designed to provide key tracking information on public opinion about health care topics.Toplines (.pdf)

Medicare Drug Benefit Enrollment UpdateThis enrollment update breaks down and explains the statistics related to enrollment under the new Medicare drug benefit and the separate low-income subsidy program that provides additional assistance. The enrollment update summarizes the latest enrollment figures released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and…

This Kaiser survey report looks at how the bankruptcies of two steel companies, the LTV Corporation and Bethlehem Steel, affected health coverage for the companies' retirees and dependents. The bankruptcies left about 200,000 retirees and spouses without retiree health coverage in 2002 and 2003. The report provides insight into the…

Premiums and Cost-Sharing Features in Medicare's New Prescription Drug Program, 2006When Congress created the Medicare drug benefit in 2003, it also sought to generate more private plan options for senior and disabled beneficiaries in Medicare, with increased payments to attract sponsors and to support added benefits attractive to enrollees, especially…

Toward Making Medicare Work for Low-Income Beneficiaries: A Baseline Comparison of the Part D Low-Income Subsidy and Medicare Savings Programs Eligibility and Enrollment RulesThis report examines how the low-income provisions of the Medicare drug benefit interact with state-level assistance provided through the Medicare Savings Program.The Medicare drug benefit provides additional…

Observations on the Initial Implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Program: Perspectives of State Medicaid Directors Through a Focus Group DiscussionMedicaid directors express the need to continue to focus on the interaction between Medicaid and the Medicare prescription drug benefit and to address the key system and coordination issues that…

This snapshot summarizes the latest information and policy issues about the enrollment of dual eligibles into the Medicare prescription drug benefit.Issue Brief (.pdf)

On January 1, 2006, the six million Americans who are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid saw a change in how their prescription drugs are covered. The dual eligible population was transitioned from Medicaid into the Medicare prescription drug benefit. As a group, these beneficiaries are poorer and sicker than…