|
|
(HealthNewsDigest.com) – With the bi-partisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform holding its first meeting today to examine ways to strengthen the nation’s entitlement programs and reduce the long-term budget deficit, the Kaiser Family Foundation has released an updated version of its 2010 Medicare primer to reflect the key changes that affect Medicare included in the health reform law enacted last month.
Accounting for 12 percent of the federal budget and more than one fifth of total national health expenditures, Medicare is a major part of discussions about how to moderate the growth in both the federal budget and health care spending. Medicare now provides health coverage to 47 million people, including 39 million seniors and another 8 million younger adults with permanent disabilities.
Medicare: A Primer describes the characteristics of the Medicare population including age, income and health status. It explains what benefits the program covers and how much people with Medicare pay out-of-pocket for their medical care. The primer describes the role of Medicare Advantage plans and the Medicare Part D drug benefit, and provisions in the health reform law that will close the coverage gap, or “doughnut hole.”
The primer explains how Medicare is financed, looks at how Medicare dollars are spent, and includes a new section addressing the law’s overall expected impact on Medicare spending, including a discussion of the role of the new independent payment advisory board. It also reviews the long-term financing challenges facing the program.
The updated primer is available online. www.kff.org
The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, dedicated to producing and communicating the best possible information and analysis on health issues.
Subscribe to our FREE Ezine and receive current Health News, be eligible for discounted products/services and coupons related to your Health. We publish 24/7.
HealthNewsDigest.com
For advertising or promotion, email: [email protected]