Medicare: Publications

Medicare Advantage: Senate Bill Makes Necessary Changes discusses several long-overdue changes that the Senate health reform bill would make, including rolling back the billions of dollars in overpayments that go to these plans. 2 pp. Print copies free (December 2009)

Welcome to the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: An Illustration of the Doughnut Hole (updated October 2009)

Help for People with Medicare discusses how the health reform legislation that is before Congress will help make Medicare more affordable for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as help make the program more financially secure. 3 pp. Print copies free (August 2009)

Setting the Record Straight on Medicare dispels several myths about health reform and explains how health reform will help Medicare beneficiaries and strengthen the program. 1 p. Print copies free (August 2009) l Large Print

Key Priorities to Help Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries discusses three actions Congress should take to improve the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) as part of health reform. 1 page. Print copies free. (May 2009)

Medicare: Helping Low-Income Seniors and People with Disabilities examines the high out-of-pocket costs Medicare beneficiaries face and how health reform should improve existing programs that help them afford these costs. 2 pp. Print copies free. (May 2009)

The Health Assistance Partnership (HAP), a project of Families USA, recently released three substantive Medicare education manuals – the SHIP Resource Guides. Each guide covers a specific topic: Medicare Basics, Medicare Advantage, and Part D. The guides not only contain the latest in Medicare information, resources, and references, but also provide abundant practical examples, real world scenarios, and tips on where to learn more. To find out more about what HAP does, go to www.hapnetwork.org. (April 2009)

The Medicare Drug Benefit: How Much Will You Pay? These tables can help you estimate what you'll pay for prescription drugs under the Medicare drug benefit, including those enrolled in Medicaid. (updated April 2009)

Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008: Addressing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities discusses how the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) addresses health disparities within the Medicare population. MIPPA provisions to address these issues include: improved data collection for measuring and evaluating health disparities, outreach to the previously uninsured, and compliance with cultural competency standards. 6 pp. Free (November 2008)

Congress Delivers Help to People with Medicare: An Overview of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act discusses the positive changes the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) makes to Medicare. These changes include the improvement of Medicare health care benefits, the creation of policies that reduce racial and ethnic disparities among beneficiaries, and the reining in of inefficient private Medicare Advantage Plans. 8 pp. Free (October 2008)

Buyer Beware: Higher Costs, More Confusion for the 2008 Part D Enrollment Season discusses several reasons why Part D enrollees, especially those with low incomes, should carefully examine their plans to see if the plans will continue to suit their needs. These reasons include rising premiums, the widening "doughnut hole," and other changes in coverage. 4 pp. Free (November 2007)

The CHAMP Act's Medicare Provisions Offer Real Help to Seniors and People with Disabilities discusses how this bill, passed by the House of Representatives on August 1, would level the playing field between traditional Medicare and private Medicare Advantage plans, improve benefits for beneficiaries, particularly for those with low incomes, and protect Medicare consumers. 4 pp. Free (September 2007)

See All Families USA Publications on Medicare

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