Medicaid Enrollment

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) released an updated version of their "Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker" on September 5th. This tracker provides state-level data on Medicaid/CHIP enrollment, unwinding, renewals, and other measures. Please note that while the tool includes national data reported by CMS, it has a lag of several months and may not reflect the most current Medicaid enrollment status.

KFF’s brief, “Key Facts About Medicare Part D Enrollment and Costs in 2023”, analyzes enrollment and costs for the Medicare Part D benefit in 2023 and trends. Medicare Part D provides outpatient prescription drug coverage through a standalone Medicare Part D plan (PDP) to supplement Original or Traditional Medicare, or through a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan (MA-PD) or other Medicare Health Plan with drug coverage. The analysis notes that in 2023 over half of those with Medicare Part D coverage are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan with a Part D benefit. Enrollment in the MA-PD plans continues to outpace enrollment in PDPs. MA-PD enrollment grew by 47% between 2019 and 2023 while PDP enrollment fell by 12%.

On March 15th, the Department of Health and Human Services, through CMS, announced 27 prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part B that may have lower beneficiary coinsurances. From April 1, 2023 through June 30, 2023, some people with Medicare who take these drugs may save between $2 and $390 per average dose, depending on the beneficiary’s coverage. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022, drug companies that raise their drug prices faster than the rate of information are required to pay a rebate to Medicare. Starting April 1, 2023, Medicare beneficiaries may pay a lower coinsurance for certain Part B drugs if the drug’s price increased faster than the rate of inflation in a benchmark quarter.

This brief includes the latest (FY 2018) Medicaid HCBS enrollment and spending data from KFF’s 18th annual 50-state survey. It contains data about per-enrollee spending on HCBS by target population and HCBS waiver waiting lists. This issue brief also includes tables with detailed state-level data. One key finding analyzed here is that most HCBS enrollees receive services provided at the state option.