Affordable Care Act Provisions Relating to the Care of Dually Eligible Medicare and Medicaid Beneficiaries May 30, 2011 Issue Brief This issue brief identifies the major provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that are designed to improve care and streamline service delivery for dual eligibles, the millions of low-income seniors and younger persons with disabilities who are enrolled in both the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Dual…
Medicaid’s Role for Dual Eligibles May 30, 2011 Issue Brief These short profiles illustrate the help that Medicaid provides to four individuals who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare. They include a 66-year-old former nurse who suffers from a multitude of health problems; an 86-year-old stroke survivor and nursing home resident; a 64-year-old man with disabilities who lives independently; and…
Projecting Income and Assets: What Might the Future Hold for the Next Generation of Medicare Beneficiaries? May 30, 2011 Report As national attention turns to the federal deficit, some policymakers have proposed reforms to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security that could have significant implications for current and future generations of seniors and younger adults with disabilities. This data spotlight, co-authored by researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Urban…
How Much Skin in the Game is Enough? The Financial Burden of Health Spending for People on Medicare May 30, 2011 Report How Much ” Skin in the Game ” is Enough? The Financial Burden of Health Spending for People on Medicare Medicare extends health security and financial protection to seniors and younger people with disabilities. However, premiums, relatively high cost-sharing requirements, and gaps in the benefit package result in some beneficiaries…
Dual Eligibles: Medicaid’s Role for Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries May 1, 2011 Fact Sheet This updated fact sheet describes the nearly 8.9 million “dual eligibles,” the low-income elderly and persons with disabilities who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, why this population needs Medicaid, what services they receive from Medicaid, and what the new health reform law may mean for them. Fact Sheet (.pdf)
Proposed Changes to Medicare in the “Path to Prosperity”: Overview and Key Questions April 14, 2011 Issue Brief This brief examines key Medicare provisions included in “The Path to Prosperity: Restoring America’s Promise,” a long-term budget proposal released by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan on April 5, 2011, which outlines a strategy for reducing federal spending and reducing the national debt over time. The Medicare provisions are among…
The Independent Payment Advisory Board: A New Approach to Controlling Medicare Spending April 13, 2011 Issue Brief In 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act authorized the creation of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) to help control the growth in Medicare costs. Beginning in 2014, IPAB will issue recommendations to lower Medicare costs in the event that spending exceeds targets established in the health care…
Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — April 2011 April 1, 2011 Poll Finding As Congress and the president debate different approaches to reducing the deficit, the April Kaiser Health Tracking Poll indicates that initial public reaction is fairly evenly split when a premium support/voucher program like the one in House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” proposal is described, but seniors…
How Popular Is The Idea Of Changing Medicare To A Defined Contribution Plan? April 1, 2011 Poll Finding In March 2011, House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan released his “Path to Prosperity” budget plan, which included a proposal to change Medicare from a defined benefit program into one in which the government pays a specific amount towards the cost of private health insurance for each enrollee. Surveys conducted…
Briefing – Medicare: A Primer March 11, 2011 Event This briefing provided an overview of the Medicare program and its role in the health care system. Panelists discussed who is eligible for Medicare, what benefits are covered and how the program is administered. Medicare financing and the program’s role in health reform was also explained. More information on Medicare…