Health Affairs

Posting date: October 4, 2005

This Article Reprint (PDF) HTML Version Submit a response to this article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Comments are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Archive Download to Citation Manager Reprints & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Davis, K. Articles by Schoen, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Davis, K. Articles by Schoen, C.

Health Affairs, 10.1377/hlthaff.w5.442
Copyright © 2005 by Project HOPE

Web Exclusives

Medicare Extra: A Comprehensive Benefit Option For Medicare Beneficiaries

Karen Davis ^1*, Marilyn Moon ², Barbara Cooper ³, Cathy Schoen ⁴

¹ Karen Davis is president of the Commonwealth Fund in New York City.
² Marilyn Moon is vice president and program director at the American Institutes for Research in Silver Spring, Maryland.
³ Barbara Cooper is a consultant in McLean, Virginia.
⁴ Cathy Schoen is vice president, Health Policy, Research, and Evaluation, at the Commonwealth Fund.

^*Corresponding author.

Abstract

The proposed Part E, Medicare Extra, outlined in this paper adds a comprehensive benefit option to Medicare, eliminating the need for beneficiaries to purchase a private drug plan and Medigap supplemental coverage. Financed by a budget-neutral beneficiary premium, it has the advantages of greater simplicity, efficiency, and value without adding to federal costs. Beneficiaries now enrolled in Medigap plans would save money, as could employers by choosing a lower-cost alternative to current retiree health plans. Eliminating some of the excess payments to Medicare Advantage plans would yield savings that could be used to help finance premium subsidies for low-income beneficiaries.

Key Words: Access To Care, Business Of Health, Consumer Issues, Health Reform, Managed Care - Medicare, Medicare

                      What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Schoen, K. Davis, and S. R. Collins Building Blocks For Reform: Achieving Universal Coverage With Private And Public Group Health Insurance Health Aff., May 1, 2008; 27(3): 646 - 657. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]