Medicare in North Carolina
Medicare in North Carolina - 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 North Carolina:
Percentage of North Carolina residents enrolled in Medicare - 15%
North Carolina residents enrolled in Medicare Advantage - 258,678
North Carolina residents eligible for Medicare Part D - 1,411,674
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
North Carolina Medicare Resources
North Carolina seniors and those eligible for Medicare can also refer to the following resources for additional information on Medicare within North Carolina.
North Carolina Medicare Savings ProgramsNorth Carolina 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.
North Carolina State Health Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (SHIP)Provides information to North Carolina residents about Medicare including assistance on understanding your Medicare rights/protections and how to submit a complaint about medical care or treatment.
North Carolina Medicare Insurance Providers
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Humana
- Standard Security Life
- United of Omaha
- WellCare
How Healthy Is North Carolina ?
North Carolina is the tenth most populous state in the U.S. and ranked as the 32nd healthiest state to live. North Carolina's strength as a healthy state is helped by its low incidence of infectious disease as well as high percentage rates of immunization coverage. Two challenges facing North Carolina are its high infant mortality rate as well as high percentage of children in poverty.
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.
Y0040_MULTIPLAN_GHHH66GHH_G Pending
