The Medicare Program: A Brief Overview
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)

Medicare Beneficiaries and Prescription Drugs: Costs and Coverage
September 2002—Background data regarding prescription drug use and access among Medicare beneficiaries are provided in this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by David Gross. Topics include rising drug costs, out-of-pocket prescription drug spending, prescription drug coverage, lack of coverage's effect on medication use, and limitations of state efforts to provide assistance with prescription drug costs. (3 pages)

Long-Term Care Preferences: A Survey of Alabama Residents Age 35+
March 2007—Being able to remain in their own homes while receiving long-term care services is very important to 89 percent of age 35+ Alabamians, and this December 2006 AARP telephone survey finds that 85 percent would support creating a Money Follows the Person program to allow individuals to decide where they receive the care they need. (28 pages)

Medicare Price Negotiation of Prescription Drugs - A National Poll: February 12, 2007
February 2007—When this late January 2007 AARP national poll asked 1,000 age 18+ Americans if Medicare should be allowed to negotiate prescription drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, 87 percent said yes, and 61 percent think Congress should make the issue a top priority. (13 pages)

Health Insurance Coverage and Costs at Older Ages: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study
September 2006—How changes in employer retiree health plans are affecting individuals is analyzed in this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Richard W. Johnson of the Urban Institute. Health coverage and costs among early retirees and those on Medicare, and the role played by employer-sponsored retiree health benefits are examined. (67 pages)

AARP Calls on U.S. Senate to Take a Stand
April 3, 2007—With the aid of its 38 million members, AARP is calling on the U.S. Senate to stand with the overwhelming majority of Americans and vote to give Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices.

AARP Supports New Legislation to Provide People with Limited Incomes Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs
March 15, 2007—Today, AARP supported legislation introduced by Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) that would help people with limited incomes on Medicare get the prescription drugs they need.

AARP Watchdog Report Shows Drug Prices Continue to Soar
March 6, 2007—Brand name prescription drug prices continue to rise at about twice the rate of inflation, according to the latest AARP Watchdog Report.

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