Medicare and Medicaid in 2014

Medicare and Medicaid are rapidly changing as state and federal agencies scramble to implement the Affordable Care Act. The Kaiser Family Foundation is a great source of information on the changes and how they will affect consumers.

The Kaiser Family Foundation releases many useful reports and issue briefs. I am going to highlight two reports released in the last few weeks.

The first report is Getting into Gear for 2014: Shifting New Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment Policies into Drive. This report outlines the key policy changes coming to Medicaid programs in January, 2013, in states that are expanding Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act. It focuses on the eligibility and enrollment changes resulting from the Medicaid expansion. Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia are expanding Medicaid; everyone in those jurisdictions should be aware of the changes and their possible effects.

The second report, Medicare Advantage 2014 Spotlight: Plan Availability and Premiums, analyzes planned changes to the Medicare Advantage program for 2014. The report tracks the number of plans available through the Advantage program in 2014, the expected cost of the plans, and the changes to the plan benefits. According to the report, 15 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in insurance plans through the Medicare Advantage program in 2013, so the 2014 changes will have far reaching effects.