This issue brief evaluates the effects of a permanent 10 percent increase in Medicare fees for primary care ambulatory visits on Medicare costs. Using a simulation model with real-world parameters, the study found that, in spite of raising the overall cost of primary care visits, such a fee...

This issue brief describes organizations offering the new Medicare drug benefit and analyzes how companies are positioning themselves to attract enrollees. It notes that 7 of the 10 organizations that sponsor stand-alone PDPs nationwide are based in commercial insurance firms with substantial...

As the role of private plans in the future of Medicare becomes a focal point of change, policymakers need a better understanding of current trends in private plan choice. This publication profiles the trends in Medicare choices and private plan enrollment since 1999, showing declining enrollment...

Analyzes the effect of shrinking managed care benefits on enrollees by examining trends in estimated out-of-pocket costs. Those in poor health not only paid more than those in good health; they also experienced the highest growth in out-of-pocket costs—62 percent—in the three-year...

This brief details private plan options available to people on Medicare, including Medicare Advantage plans (such as Medicare HMOs, PPOs, and private fee-for-service plans) and new stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs). In 2006, all beneficiaries have access to at least one type of private...

The Medicare drug benefit that Congress created in 2003 aims to provide more private plan options for senior and disabled beneficiaries in Medicare, with increased payments to attract sponsors and to support added benefits attractive to enrollees, especially in rural areas. The effects of these...