Medicare-related News

Two new KFF analyses examine the potential impact of Medicare coverage of new prescription drugs for obesity and Alzheimer’s disease on program spending and beneficiary out-of-pocket costs, as well as the role that the Inflation Reduction Act could play in mitigating these effects. Manufacturers of both types of drugs are lobbying for broad Medicare coverage…More

This policy watch focuses on the implications of Medicare coverage of new Alzheimer’s drugs on program spending as well as equity and affordability issues for beneficiaries, and the potential for the Inflation Reduction Act to address the spending impacts.

In this piece, we discuss Medicare coverage of obesity treatments, the potential cost implications if Medicare covers anti-obesity drugs, and how the Inflation Reduction Act could potentially address these cost concerns.

Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, an Associate Director for the Program on Medicare Policy at KFF, testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on May 17, 2023 as part of a hearing on Examining Health Care Denials and Delays in Medicare Advantage.

Recently released data show that Medicare Advantage, the private plan alternative to traditional Medicare, now covers half of eligible Medicare beneficiaries. As the role of Medicare Advantage grows, so will interest in understanding how well the program serves the increasingly diverse group of enrollees who receive their Medicare coverage from private insurers.