Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

Abstract #156664

Barbara B. Kennelly¹, Member of Congres (Invited)², Carroll L. Estes, PhD³, and Diane Lifsey¹. (1) National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, 10 G Street, NE, Suite 600, Washington, DC, DC 20002-4215, 202-216-8387, lifseyd@ncpssm.org, (2) U. S. Congress, 1st and Constitution, NE, Washington, DC 20510, (3) Professor and Founding Director, Institute for Health & Aging, University of California San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 340, San Francisco, CA 94118

The Privatization of Medicare Beyond Part D

The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) established the Part D prescription drug program, which only allows Medicare beneficiaries to receive prescription drugs through private plans. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) supports allowing seniors to get prescription drugs directly from Medicare and requiring Medicare to negotiate the lowest prices for seniors.

The privatized drug plan undermines Medicare and threatens the future stability of the program. In addition, less well-known provisions of the MMA will lead to the further privatization of Medicare Session participants will learn about provisions in the MMA to means test the Medicare Part B premium, which went into effect on January 1, 2007; subsidies to private Medicare Advantage plans, which are currently receiving 111 percent of the amount traditional fee-for service Medicare spends per beneficiary; a cap on the amount of general revenues used to fund Medicare, and a demonstration program that would change Medicare from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution/voucher plan. Speakers will discuss the impact of these provisions on Medicare beneficiaries as well as congressional efforts to improve traditional Medicare.

Learning Objectives:

• Session participants will learn about provisions in the MMA to means test the Medicare Part B premium, which went into effect on January 1, 2007; subsidies to private Medicare Advantage plans, which are currently receiving 111 percent of the amount traditional fee-for service Medicare spends per beneficiary; a cap on the amount of general revenues used to fund Medicare, and a demonstration program that would change Medicare from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution/voucher plan.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No