Medicare

The Medicare program was created in 1965 to provide health coverage for Americans aged 65 and older. Some additional groups are also eligible for Medicare, including people on dialysis for permanent kidney failure, people with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and people who are disabled and who are receiving Social Security benefits or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits.

Original Medicare has two parts: Part A provides hospital coverage, and Part B provides outpatient medical coverage. In 2007, Part C was added, giving beneficiaries the option to receive coverage through private “Medicare Advantage” plans. And in January 2006, Part D was added, which allows Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in one of several prescription drug plans.

Medicare coverage includes premiums, deductibles, and copayments that individuals must pay out of pocket. Medicare beneficiaries whose low incomes qualify them for Medicaid (“dual eligibles”) receive help with these out-of-pocket costs.

This section of our Web site provides information on various aspects of the Medicare program, including low-income issues, Part D prescription drug coverage, and Medicare Advantage plans.

The Latest

From Families USA:

Families USA is part of the Seniors to Seniors coalition—a group that is committed to educating seniors about health reform legislation. Visit their Web site to learn more about how health reform will help people with Medicare. The site includes several short downloadable and linkable videos on topics that are important to seniors.

From Health Affairs:

Medicare Governance and Provider Payment Policy examines the decision-making processes governing Medicare and how they tend to become overly politicized by both Congress and the White House. The report makes several recommendations for protecting Medicare payment decisions from political interference, including establishing a new, independent Medicare policy board. (September 2009)

From the Kaiser Family Foundation:

Medicare Advantage 2010 Data Spotlight: Plan Availability and Premiums discusses information recently released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) about Medicare Advantage Plans that will be available in 2010. The brief looks at plan options, availability, and premiums, and it highlights important changes between 2009 and 2010. (November 2009)

Medicare Part D Spotlight: Part D Plan Availability in 2010 and Key Changes Since 2006 uses information released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) about Medicare Part D prescription drug plans that will be available in 2010. The brief provides an overview of the different options available in 2010 and highlights key changes from previous years. (November 2009)

From the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare

Price Negotiation for the Medicare Drug Program: It Is Time to Lower Costs for Seniors explores the restriction that prohibits Medicare from negotiating for lower drug prices for beneficiaries. Without such a restriction, Part D, like other public programs such as Medicaid and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), could save billions of dollars and finally close the “doughnut hole.” (October 2009)

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