Medicare Monitor

Medicare Monitor

The Palm Beach Post's veteran Washington correspondent, Larry Lipman, tracks policy makers and interest groups who are shaping the future of the federal health insurance program for the elderly.

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Medicare is the federal health care system that covers about 36 million people age 65 and older, plus 7 million disabled. It has four parts:

Part A Covers inpatient hospital care as well as nursing home, home health and hospice care. Nearly all elderly and disabled Americans qualify for Part A coverage.
Financed by a 2.9 percent payroll tax divided equally between employees and employers.

Part B Covers outpatient care, doctor’s services, durable medical equipment, home health visits and preventive care. Part B coverage is voluntary, but roughly 40 million are enrolled.
Financed by beneficiary premiums and federal general revenue. Current monthly premiums are $93.50. Starting this year, individuals whose taxable income is more than $80,000 will pay a higher premium.

Part C Medicare Advantage managed care plans provide health care normally covered by Medicare Parts A and B. They may also provide some other benefits, including prescription drugs, not covered by traditional Medicare. Oart C is voluntary; about 7 million beneficiaries are enrolled.
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Part D Medicare prescription drug plans come in two types, those that just cover prescription drugs and those that cover drugs as part of a broader managed care benefit. Part D is voluntary. About 9.2 million beneficiaries are in stand-alone drug plans and about 5.1 million are in managed care drug plans.
The plans are private and financed by Medicare and beneficiary premiums, which vary among plans.
-- Larry Lipman

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The entry titled "Poll: beneficiaries oppose cutting Medicare Advantage," and any of the comments about it.

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Home > Medicare Monitor > Archives > 2008 > June > 19 > Entry

Poll: beneficiaries oppose cutting Medicare Advantage

By Larry Lipman | Thursday, June 19, 2008, 11:11 AM

A poll paid for by an association of private health plans — including those offering Medicare Advantage plans — found that most seniors oppose cutting the Medicare Advantage program as the way to avoid cutting payments to doctors.

While the industry-sponsored poll found widespread support for the Medicare Advantage program among those enrolled in such private plans, it also found substantial support for it among those enrolled in traditional fee-for-service Medicare.

The poll was conducted by Ayres, McHenry & Associates and the Feldman Group and paid for by America’s Health Insurance Plans.

According to the poll, beneficiaries in traditional Medicare would prefer cutting payments to doctors by a 3-to-1 ratio instead of cutting Medicare Advantage. Those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans favored that option by a 6-to-1 ratio.

The beneficiaries also indicated they thought cuts to the Medicare Advantage program would have a negative impact on seniors in such health plans.

Only half of the beneficiaries — regardless of whether they were in traditional or Medicare Advantage plans — oppose the scheduled 10.6 percent physician pay cut slated to begin July 1.

But by a 5-to-1 ratio among fee-for-service beneficiaries and 13-to-1 ratio among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, they would prefer cutting other programs than cutting Medicare Advantage or raising taxes.

Hmmm. Let’s see. Cut doctors’ payment rates or raise taxes …

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