Publications and Reports
Issue Spotlight: Prescription Drugs
View recent headlines on prescription drugs, new and noteworthy reports, or follow the Medicare prescription drug debate.
Kaiser Family Foundation: Medicare and Prescription Drug Spending Chartpack
This chartpack provides 2003 and 2006 estimates of total and out-of-pocket prescription drug spending by Medicare beneficiaries. The data and analysis for this chartpack, prepared by Actuarial Research Corporation, assume no change in current law.
Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2003
"Health Insurance Spending Report - How Does Medicare Compare?"
This study, from the Senate Joint Economic Committee, compares the spending growth rates of Medicare and leading insurance programs for government employees. The study compared Medicare with the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), which provides health insurance for federal workers and retirees, and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), which provides health insurance for California state and municipal workers and retirees.
The study followed the programs for the last 20 years and found that Medicare is no better at cost containment than other government insurance programs.
Senater Joint Economic Committee (JEC), June 2003
"Medicare At A Glance"
This updated 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.
Kaiser Family Foundation, April 29, 2005
"Restructuring Medicare: A Synthesis of the NASI Medicare Projects"
This Medicare brief highlights the findings and recommendations of the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) Medicare study panels.
National Academy of Social Insurance, April 2003
Kaiser Family Foundation: Prescription Drug Trends Fact Sheet
This two-page fact sheet, last updated in October 2004, provides trend data for prescription drug coverage, expenditures and the key factors that contribute to rising prescription spending: increases in utilization and prices, and changes in drug use from older drugs to newer higher-priced drugs.
Kaiser Family Foundation, October 25, 2004
President Announces Framework to Modernize and Improve Medicare
This document provides details of President Bush's announcement of reform plans for Medicare. The plans include providing the option of a subsidized prescription drug benefit to all seniors, better coverage for preventive care, and legislation that should strengthen the program's long-term financial security.
White House, March 2003
"A Primer for Journalists on Medicare Reform Proposals"
This paper from Princeton Unversity of economics and public affairs Uwe Reinhardt discusses the key elements of Medicare reform, options for for future proposals, and details from past plans.
Dr. Uwe Reinhardt, March 2003
"An "ABC" Proposal to Modernize Medicare"
This report by Jeff Lemieux, David B. Kendall, Kerry Tremain, and S. Robert Levine provides specific proposals for Medicare reform.
Progressive Policy Insitute, February 2003
"What The GAO Says About The Best Model For Medicare Reform"
This paper discusses the merits of a using the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP)as a model for Medicare reform.
Heritage Foundation, Feburary 2003
"Improving Access to Drugs for Medicare Beneficiaries"
While the federal government considers various ways to make prescription drugs more affordable for this population, a number of states, including California, have passed laws creating pharmaceutical assistance programs. A RAND team, led by physician Joy Lewis, assessed the effectiveness of the California law, which mandates that pharmacies must reduce the costs of prescription medications to elderly Medicare beneficiaries.
RAND, December 2002
Kaiser Health Poll Report: The Public on Prescription Drugs for Seniors
This Health Poll Report is on the trends in public knowledge and attention to news about seniors and prescription drugs, as well as public opinion about who should be covered by a Medicare prescription drug benefit and what constitutes a good plan.
Kaiser Family Foundation, November 2002
"Issues in Designing a Prescription Drug Benefit for Medicare"
This Congressional Budget Office study discusses CBO's approach to estimating the costs of various designs for a Medicare prescription drug benefit. The study describes the broad choices available to policymakers, some problems raised by particular design choices, and the implications of those choices for the cost of four specific proposals, which together cover a wide spectrum of approaches for delivering a Medicare drug benefit. In keeping with CBO's mandate to provide objective, impartial analysis, this study makes no recommendations.
Congressional Budget Office, October 2002
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