Related Experiment Videos
Health insurance and the elderly
G S Chulis1, F P Eppig, M O Hogan
1Office of National Health Statistics, Health Care Financing Administration, Baltimore.
Health Affairs (Project Hope)
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Most elderly Medicare beneficiaries have supplemental insurance, not just Medicare. Proposed Medicare reforms increasing cost sharing may impact one-third of seniors, questioning their effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Public Health Policy
- Gerontology
Background:
- Medicare program reform effectiveness hinges on beneficiary responses to incentives.
- Beneficiary responses are influenced by supplemental insurance coverage.
- Understanding supplemental coverage is crucial for evaluating Medicare policy changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the prevalence of supplemental insurance among Medicare beneficiaries.
- To assess the potential impact of increased Medicare cost sharing on this population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.
- Analyzed the sources of health coverage for elderly Medicare beneficiaries.
Main Results:
- Only 11% of Medicare beneficiaries rely solely on Medicare.
- The majority of elderly beneficiaries have private (employer-sponsored or individually purchased) or Medicaid coverage.
- Increased Medicare cost sharing could affect approximately one-third of all beneficiaries.
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of Medicare beneficiaries have coverage beyond traditional Medicare.
- Proposed Medicare cost-sharing increases may have widespread implications for beneficiaries.
- The effectiveness of certain Medicare reform strategies is questionable given current coverage patterns.