Medicare is a federal health care program that provides coverage for individuals with disabilities who receive federal Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, as well as people age 65 and over. Approximately 37 percent of Medicare beneficiaries with a disability have a serious mental illness. Medicare covers hospital, nursing home and limited home health care (Medicare Part A), outpatient health and mental health services (Part B), and prescription medications (Part D). Part C of Medicare authorizes alternative plans, such as managed care plans, in place of the standard Medicare fee-for-service plan.
Like Medicaid and other important programs, Congress is strongly considering drastic spending cuts for Medicare and changes to the program's structure. Below you will find resources developed to address these threats.
Resources:
Medicare Rights Center:
Decoding the 2012 House Budget Resolution
This publication provides an overview of the major changes that would be made by the House budget resolution, including implications for people with Medicare now and in the future.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
Proposed Cap on Federal Budget Would Force Deep Cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security
This report explains the potential effects of a budget cap on social programs including Medicare.
Kaiser Family Foundation:
Comparison of Medicare Provisions in Deficit-Reduction Proposals
To better understand the key Medicare changes proposed in the deficit- and debt-reduction debate, the Kaiser Family Foundation has prepared side-by-side comparisons of a number of recent proposals.