“Kaiser Fast Facts” features “QuickTakes” and “Kaiser Slides” – two tools that provide direct access to facts, data and slides about the nation's health care system and programs, in an easy-to-use format. “QuickTakes” presents an inventory of facts-at-a-glance and "Kaiser Slides" allows Web visitors to freely view, download and print graphics and tables of health policy statistics and trends.

This fact sheet provides an overview of the Medicare drug benefit and the additional subsidies available to certain eligible low-income beneficiaries.

This national survey of 16,000 seniors finds that the share of seniors without drug coverage dropped significantly under Medicare’s new drug benefit, though some continue to be vulnerable to high costs.  Results of the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund and the Tufts-New England Medical Center study were published in Health Affairs.

This updated fact sheet provides an overview of spending on the Medicare program, how the program is financed, and Medicare’s future financial outlook. It includes the latest available data on Medicare financing. 

This primer provides an overview of the Medicare program, how it is structured, who it serves, and how it works.

Updated in February 2007, this fact sheet provides a basic overview of the Medicare program, including how it is financed, who is eligible and what benefits are covered under the program. In addition, it describes supplemental health insurance, benefits provided by the new drug law and data on Medicare expenditures and financing. 

The Kaiser Family Foundation released a new report on the implications of the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit for people living with HIV/AIDS. The report looks at the coverage and cost of antiretroviral drugs under the new private, stand-alone Medicare drug plans.

Talking About Medicare: Your Guide to Understanding the Program: Welcome

This online consumer guide helps people on Medicare and their family members and caregivers to make informed decisions about their health care.  It offers answers to basic questions about Medicare eligibility and coverage.  It also includes a chapter devoted to the new Medicare prescription drug law and its implications for consumers.

Medicare’s new, private, stand-alone drug plans vary significantly in terms of covered drugs, out-of-pocket costs for specific medications and restrictions placed on the use of certain drugs. This study examines formularies, drug costs and utilization management tools in drug plans offered by 14 national and near-national organizations. It highlights the importance of carefully choosing a Medicare drug plan.

Starting Jan. 1, Medicare will begin to cover outpatient prescription drugs, but many seniors don’t even understand the basics about what the new benefit offers or how it works. Helping African Americans who rely on Medicare to understand how this program will work is critical to ensuring they make good decisions about this coverage.