Medicare in Alaska
Medicare in Alaska - By the Numbers
Medicare provides health insurance coverage for people age 65 or older, or for those under age 65 who suffer from specific medical disabilities. Consider the following Medicare statistics from Alaska:
Percentage of Alaska residents enrolled in Medicare - 8%
Alaska residents enrolled in Medicare Advantage - 94
Alaska residents eligible for Medicare Part D - 60,842
Data provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation:
Medicare Enrollment as a Percent of Total Population, 2008
Total Medicare Advantage (MA) Enrollment, 2009
Medicare Beneficiaries with Creditable Prescription Drug Coverage by Type, as of February 2009
Health Care Reform and Medicare
In 2010, the President signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which includes the following changes to the Medicare program:- Phasing out the "Donut Hole" - More than 8 million seniors in 2007 hit the "donut hole", which is the gap in prescription drug coverage in Medicare Part D. In 2010, beneficiaries who hit the donut hole will receive a $250 rebate. Beginning in 2011, the Act institutes a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs in the donut hole, and the Act will completely close the donut hole for all prescription drugs by 2020.
- Improved Preventive Care - Eliminates deductibles, copayments, and other cost-sharing for preventive care in Medicare, and provides free annual wellness check-ups starting in 2011. Today, seniors must pay 20 percent of the cost of many preventive services and office visits.
Data provided by the US Senate:
"Strengthening Medicare for Our Nation's Seniors" available at
http://dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill91.pdf
Alaska Medicare Resources
Alaska seniors and those eligible for Medicare can also refer to the following resources for additional information on Medicare within Alaska.
Alaska Medicare Savings ProgramsAlaska residents can save money on Medicare each year through savings programs for people with limited income or resources who pay some or all of Medicare's premiums and may pay Medicare deductibles and coinsurance.
Alaska State Health Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (SHIP)Provides information to Alaska residents about Medicare including assistance on understanding your Medicare rights/protections and how to submit a complaint about medical care or treatment.
Alaska Medicare Insurance Providers
How Healthy Is Alaska ?
Alaska is the forty-seventh most populous state in the U.S. and ranked as the 1st healthiest state to live. Alaska's strength as a healthy state is helped by its high per capita public health funding as well as low prevalence of diabetes. Two challenges facing Alaska are its high prevalence of binge drinking as well as high violent crime rate.
Source:
America's Health Rankings.org
- Plan Ratings are assessed each year by Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and may change from one year to the next.
- Not every plan is available statewide or in all service areas.
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