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:

State Advocate To-Do List for 2013 outlines issues that advocates may want to address in 2013 in anticipation of the changing health care environment. (January 2013)

From the Journal of the American Medical Association:

Medicare’s Role and Future Challenges is an infographic that illustrates the characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries, the types of services they use each year, and the fact that health care spending per person is growing more slowly for Medicare than for private insurance. (November 2012)

From the Kaiser Family Foundation:

Medicare Advantage 2013 Spotlight: Plan Availability and Premiums examines trends in the Medicare Advantage market, including the options available and premium levels. It finds that almost all of the plans that were available this year will be offered again in 2013, and premiums for beneficiaries who stay in their current plans will increase by 10 percent (on average). (December 2012)

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