This analysis compares some key characteristics of Medicare+Choice plans in California with those across the nation, including premiums, coverage for prescription drugs, copayments for hospitalization, and copayments for physician office visits. To view the report, click here. (Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the report.)

Members of Medicare+Choice plans can face high out-of-pocket expenses for premiums, physician visits, hospital use, and medications. Costs can vary significantly with where a beneficiary lives.   User profiles are developed to allow for simple comparisons of complex benefit structures.  To view the report,   (Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the report.)

On December 12, the State of California Senate Insurance Committee met to review impacts of Medicare+Choice Plan withdrawals. At the request of Senator Speier (D. Burlingame), we prepared a report showing the regional impact of plan withdrawals. To view the report, click here. (Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the report.)

The first study focuses on managed care plan withdrawls in 2002. Managed care health plans have announced areas where they will withdraw from offering Medicare+Choice options as of January 2002. Almost 84,000 Californians will be affected—a substantial increase over the 57,000 affected last year. Yet nationwide the number of people affected by plan withdrawals will be lower in 2002 than in 2001. To view the report and see which plans are withdrawing from specific geographic areas and the number of people affected, click here. (Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the report.)

The data for this and other reports is assembled from various sources, primarily CMS, OSHPD and the Census Bureau, into a relational database. To learn more about the data, click here.