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Medicaid and Medicare (the challenges of dealing with an aging population)

What's Here?: One thing is certain, our population is getting older and our economy is going to take some time to recover- Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care and eldercare will be more visible than ever before- the costs could be staggering. We'll be posting information about the demographics and trends of these markets and the possible impact health care reform may have on the senior population, Medicaid, long-term care, and nursing care delivery in our country.

NEW 2010 Reporting Experience: Physicians Quality Reporting System and Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services; February, 2012 (Medicare is looking for ways to improve the way it delivers care to its members. Data and technology will be the key. This report provides an update of two initiatives Medicare has started and both are showing some improvement- but we have a long ways to go.

NEW How Does the Benefit Value of Medicare Compare to the Benefit Value of Typical Large Employer Plans? A 2012 Update, Kaiser Family Foundation; April, 2012 (Even after showing some improvement in the out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs, Medicare still covers less of the $15,000 average annual expense of an individual over 65 than many employer plans would pay in the private market. There's going to continue to be changes in the benefits we receive to fix the problem we face) Posted 4-12-12

Supervisory Care: Key Costs, Trends, and Strategic Implications; Deloitte Center for Health Solutions; 2012 (Nine million individuals receive long-term care services and daily living support from family members at an estimated cost of almost $200 billion each year. Supervisory care is going to be a huge issue in health care now and well into the future. This brief provides a good overview of the characteristics of "supervisory care" and what we might expect in the future) Posted 2-26-12

2011 Annual Report of the Boards of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund; May, 2011 (The Medicare hospital fund will be exhausted in 2024- five years earlier than the last report. Expenditures exceeded income since 2008 and is expected to continue until the funds run out. Not a pretty picture. This reports provides an update of the financial picture of Medicare. Unless something changes- we're going to be in for a very difficult and challenging time.) Posted 2-26-12

Moving Ahead Amid Fiscal Challenges: A Look at Medicaid Spending, Coverage, and Policy Trends; Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured; October, 2011 (State governments showed some positive revenue trends and the enrollment and spending growth in Medicaid started to taper- but we're still in a very precarious position for many states and individuals) Posted 11-28-11

Living Close to the Edge; Financial Challenges and Tradeoffs for People on Medicare; Kaiser Family Foundation; June 2011 (Some interesting profiles of Medicare beneficiaries managing household budgets with limited financial resources. It's not easy- and not going to get any easier) Posted 7-14-11

Who Purchases Long-Term Care Insurance; Urban Institute; March 2011 (An overview of the long-term care market and who is protecting themselves from these costs) Posted 4-26-11

Health Care on a Budget- The Financial Burden of Health Spending by Medicare Households; Kaiser Family Foundation; April, 2011 (Those on Medicare spend over 15% of their household budget on health care compared to 5% for others. We've only started to see the impact these escalating costs are going to have on individuals as the population ages) Posted 4-9-11

How Much "Skin In The Game" is Enough?; Kaiser Family Foundation; April 2011; Another look at the increasing costs that will be experienced by those entering the Medicare world if things don't change) Posted 4-9-11

Medicaid Spending Growth Over the Last Decade and The Great Recession; 2000-2009; Kaiser Family Foundation; February, 2011 (As the economy struggles, Medicaid grows, and both states and the federal government pay the costs; $338 billion in 2007 and $387 billion in 2009) Posted 2-27-11

CMS Financial Report; Fiscal Year 2010; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; (Everything you want to know about the financial aspects of Medicare, where it's going, how long it's projected to stay afloat, and goals of the program in the upcoming year) Posted 1-16-11

Funding Savings Needed for Health Expenses for Persons Eligible for Medicare; Employee Benefits Research Institute; December 2010; (Ever wonder what we will need in retirement to pay for health care (outside of Medicare)? If you want to be 50% certain you'll cover your expenses- the cost is $65,000 for a man, and $93,000 for a female. If you want to be 90% certain- the cost is $124,000 for a man and $124,000 for a female. We had better start saving.) Posted 12-27-10