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Quick Health Facts 2008: A Compilation of Selected State Data  / Research Report
April 2008— This publication provides a snapshot of each state’s health care landscape by providing comparable state-level and national data for over 30 indicators. Data are presented for each state and the District of Columbia in regard to demographics, Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance coverage. Limited data are presented for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (68 pages) (Publication ID: D18971)

Doors to Extra Help: Boosting Enrollment in the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy  / Research Report
September 2007— The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 established the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program to reduce the financial burden on low-income Medicare beneficiaries paying out-of-pocket costs for prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D. This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, by Debra J. Lipson, Allison Barrett, Angela Merrill, and Noelle Denny-Brown of Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., examines factors that influence the ease or difficulty of applying for LIS and Medicare Savings Programs which are designed to help low-income Medicare beneficiaries afford Medicare premiums and potentially other cost sharing obligations. (45 pages) (Publication ID: 2007-15)

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Influenza and Pneumococcal Immunization Rates among Medicare Beneficiaries  / Research Report
June 2007— Despite Medicare’s coverage of influenza and pneumonia vaccinations, immunization rates among beneficiaries is less than optimal, with even lower rates among African Americans and Hispanics, according to this 2007 AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Brief by Lynda Flowers that discusses factors contributing to immunization disparities and highlights federal and state initiatives to address them. (6 pages) (Publication ID: IB83)

Medicare at 40: Past Accomplishments and Future Challenges  / Research Report
July 2005— In commemoration of Medicare’s 40th anniversary, this AARP report reviews the major achievements of the program since 1965 and identifies improvements that would ensure that Medicare remains a viable, affordable, beneficiary-focused program covering comprehensive, high quality services, while at the same time carefully stewarding program resources. (17 pages)

The Medicare Program: A Brief Overview  / Research Report
February 2005— Who and what services are covered by Medicare, how Medicare-covered services are delivered, how the program is financed, and how much it spends are reviewed by Craig Caplan in this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet about the federal health insurance program for age 65+ individuals and for some under age 65 with disabilities. (4 pages) (Publication ID: FS103)

State of the Union Statement  / News Release
January 2004— AARP President-Elect Marie Smith responds to the President's annual address to Congress.

Why AARP Said “Yes” to Medicare Prescription Drug Bill  / News Release
December 2003— AARP supported this legislation because it will provide important prescription drug coverage and financial relief for millions of current and future Medicare beneficiaries.

AARP CEO Bill Novelli Calls the Prescription Drug Bill an Historic Victory  / News Release
November 2003— We should all take special pride in the fact that this bill helps those who need it the most.

AARP Urges the Senate to Pass Prescription Drug Bill Now  / News Release
November 2003— AARP urges the Senate to seize this historic opportunity and vote to pass the prescription drug bill.

AARP Statement on House Passage of Medicare Prescription Drug Bill  / News Release
November 2003— This is an important step toward fulfilling a longstanding promise to older and disabled Americans and their families.

Additional Supporters of the Medicare Bill  / News Release
November 2003— Many organizations that also support this Medicare bill. Read excerpts from official statements.

Highlights from Nationwide Opinion Pages  / News Release
November 2003— Exerpts about the Medicare bill from opinion pages across the country.

Letter from AARP CEO Bill Novelli to Senator Daschle and Representative Pelosi  / News Release
November 2003— AARP believes that the Medicare prescription drug bill represents an important step towards a long overdue commitment to strengthen and expand health security for our citizens.

Why AARP Says "Yes" to the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill  / News Release
November 2003— After careful deliberation, AARP has decided to endorse this bill and to work vigorously for its bipartisan passage. There are many reasons for this support.

AARP Endorses Medicare Prescription Drug Bill  / News Release
November 2003— Statement by AARP CEO Bill Novelli concerning the Medicare prescription drug bill.

AARP and Others Urge Medicare Conferees to Consider Lower-Income Beneficiaries  / News Release
October 2003— Letter to Medicare Conferees urging them to adopt House provision covering Dual Eligibles.

Letter by AARP CEO Bill Novelli to Congress Concerning Prescription Drug Benefit in Medicare  / News Release
July 2003— Letter by AARP CEO Bill Novelli to Congress Concerning Prescription Drug Benefit in Medicare.

Statement by AARP CEO Bill Novelli on the Passage of Medicare Prescription Drug Bills in Congress  / News Release
June 2003— Statement by AARP CEO Bill Novelli on the Passage of Medicare Prescription Drug Bills in Congress.

AARP Sends Letters to Senators Regarding Prescription Drug Benefit in Medicare  / News Release
June 2003— AARP Sends Letters to Senators Regarding Prescription Drug Benefit in Medicare.

Statement by AARP CEO Bill Novelli on Senate Markup for Medicare Prescription Drug Legislation  / News Release
June 2003— Statement by AARP CEO Bill Novelli on Senate Markup for Medicare Prescription Drug Legislation.

Statement by AARP CEO Bill Novelli on the Need for Prescription-Drug Coverage in Medicare  / News Release
June 2003— Statement by AARP CEO Bill Novelli on the Need for Prescription-Drug Coverage in Medicare.

AARP Declares That "There Is No Recess from High Prescription Drug Costs"  / News Release
May 2003— AARP declares that "there is no recess from high prescription drug costs".

What Share of Beneficiaries' Total Health Care Costs Does Medicare Pay?  / Research Report
September 2002— Total personal health care expenditures in 2000 for the Medicare population in the aggregate are projected in this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Craig Caplan, who identifies the sources of payment for these expenditures and examines how sources for elderly beneficiaries differ from those for younger beneficiaries with disabilities. (6 pages) (Publication ID: DD78)

The Future of Private Plan Contracting in Medicare  / Research Report
July 2002— The goals and objectives of Medicare contracting with private health plans (such as HMOs and PPOs) are examined in this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper in which Robert A. Berenson and Bryan E. Dowd provide a general framework for considering various payment approaches, and explore the implications for future contracting. (52 pages) (Publication ID: 2002-12)

The Medicare Program  / Research Report
August 2001— Which services Medicare covers; how the program is financed; how beneficiaries pay for health care, and how Medicare pays providers are among the topics covered in this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Normandy Brangan. (10 pages) (Publication ID: DD64)

Older Consumers' Skill in Using Comparative Data to Inform Health Plan Choice: A Preliminary Assessment  / Research Report
September 2000— Abilities vary, but using comparative information is a difficult task for most Medicare beneficiaries, according to this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Judith H. Hibbard, Dr.P.H., of the University of Oregon and Paul Slovic and colleagues from Decision Research. (38 pages) (Publication ID: 2000-14)

Employer Contracting with HMOs for Medicare Retirees  / Research Report
August 2000— An examination by health care policy and retiree benefits expert Peter D. Fox of relationships between managed care plans and employers or other retiree benefit sponsors, based on interviews with selected representatives of corporations, health plans, etc. An AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper. (18 pages) (Publication ID: 2000-13)

Structuring Health Care Benefits: A Comparison of Medicare and the FEHBP  / Research Report
May 2000— Focusing specifically on health care benefits as an entitlement, this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Craig F. Caplan and Lisa A. Foley identifies significant differences between Medicare's current structure and that of the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. (26 pages) (Publication ID: 2000-05)

Disabled Medicare Beneficiaries Under Age 65: A Review of State Efforts to Provide Access to Medicare Supplemental Insurance  / Research Report
October 1999— This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Nicole Tapay and Gerry Smolka provides information on the steps taken by nearly two dozen states to provide Medicare beneficiaries under age 65 a guaranteed opportunity to buy coverage to supplement Medicare. (26 pages) (Publication ID: 9915)

The Impacts of an Increase in the Social Security Retirement Age and the Medicare Eligibility Age on Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare, and Employment  / Research Report
August 1999— If the eligibility age for Medicare is raised to 67, how many people aged 65-66 would: retain benefits under Social Security Disability Insurance? retain Medicare eligibility? remain employed? Costs and savings associated with these changes are projected in this AARP Public Policy Insitute Issue Paper based on micro-simulation models. (104 pages) (Publication ID: 9911)

An Assessment of Medicare Beneficiaries' Understanding of the Differences Between the Traditional Medicare Program and HMOs  / Research Report
June 1998— This study for the AARP Public Policy Institute by Dr. Judith Hibbard, P.H., and Jacquelyn Jewett, Ph.D., from the University of Oregon, Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management assesses how well Medicare beneficiaries understand the differences between the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program and HMOs and whether they understand the implications each of these options has for costs choice, and care. (89 pages) (Publication ID: 9805)

The Medicare Program  / Fact Sheet
April 1998— This six-page fact sheet sheet written by David Gross and Normandy Brangan of PPI, provides a summary of the Medicare program, including what services are covered, how payments are made to providers, what the costs are to beneficiaries, how much the program currently spends, and how much it is projected to spend. (Publication ID: FS45r)