Medicare in Maryland
Medicare in Maryland - 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 Maryland:
Percentage of Maryland residents enrolled in Medicare - 13%
Maryland residents enrolled in Medicare Advantage - 61,263
Maryland residents eligible for Medicare Part D - 748,714
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
Maryland Medicare Resources
Maryland seniors and those eligible for Medicare can also refer to the following resources for additional information on Medicare within Maryland.
Maryland Medicare Savings ProgramsMaryland 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.
Maryland State Health Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (SHIP)Provides information to Maryland residents about Medicare including assistance on understanding your Medicare rights/protections and how to submit a complaint about medical care or treatment.
Maryland Medicare Insurance Providers
- Aetna
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
- Cigna
- HealthSpring
- Humana
- Omaha Insurance Company
- WellCare
How Healthy Is Maryland ?
Maryland is the nineteenth most populous state in the U.S. and ranked as the 22nd healthiest state to live. Maryland's strength as a healthy state is helped by its low prevalence of smoking as well as the readily availability of primary care physicians. Two challenges facing Maryland are its high infant mortality rate as well as high levels of air pollution.
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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