Join Us Live for a Discussion on Medicare, Democracy, and the Future of Health Care
Sixty-one years ago this month, Medicare and Medicaid became law. In the decades since, the programs have changed and expanded to meet the health care needs of the population, reflect advancements in medical innovations, and advance accessibility. Today, more than 70 million people are enrolled in Medicare. 1965: Medicare and […]
On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that it would end the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration at the end of 2026, a year earlier than originally envisioned. This program helped to keep premiums for standalone Part D plans in check as Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Part D changes went into […]
Last year’s budget reconciliation bill, HR 1, included several changes to the ways states can use Medicaid funding. Intended to reduce federal spending on Medicaid, HR 1’s changes will result in sweeping cuts to the program, strain state budgets, and endanger older adults and people with disabilities. The Federal-State Structure […]
A recent issue brief from The Commonwealth Fund examines how the 2025 reconciliation bill (H.R. 1) and the expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits will affect states and the health care landscape both today and once the legislation is fully implemented in 2029. The authors take […]
Many Medicare Advantage (MA) plans will get a funding bump after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recalculated payments under the MA Quality Bonus Program (QBP). The move from CMS comes after a court determined that the agency originally used improper measures to calculate the ratings. Flawed MA […]
Last month, U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, along with 13 additional co-sponsors, introduced the Medicare Cost Cap Act. The bill would create, for the first time, an out-of-pocket cap on Medicare beneficiary cost sharing in Original Medicare. The […]
Today, the Senate voted on a measure (S.J. Res 198) to block the six-year Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model. While it failed to pass (46-50), the vote highlights mounting concerns with the model and presents opportunities for advocates to encourage policymaker intervention. Launched by the Centers for Medicare […]
Last week, the Medicare Rights Center submitted comments to help guide implementation of the Requiring Enhanced and Accurate Lists of Health Providers Act (REAL Health Providers Act). This law, which goes into effect in 2028, requires Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to maintain complete and accurate provider directories. Inaccurate Directories Are […]
Late last month, the federal government released the first set of data showing enrollment in Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans since the enhanced premium subsidies were allowed to expire at the end of last year. The results—which capture the difference between effectuated enrollment (people who signed up and have paid […]
Ensuring access to care does not start with expanding eligibility and lowering costs. A combination of complicated rules, onerous requirements, and missing or conflicting information creates systems where people who need and qualify for coverage cannot jump through the hoops to access that support. These administrative barriers are often the […]
