Juliette Cubanski Profile picture
Medicare expert. Deputy Director, Program on Medicare Policy @KFF Part D, prescription drug policy, Medicare spending & financing, cyclist, NYT spelling bee fan

Apr 26, 2022, 8 tweets

1/ I’m excited to unveil our new @KFF interactive on #Medicare spending.

We do a deep dive on enrollment growth, spending trends, the expanding role of #MedicareAdvantage, Part A trust fund solvency & more.

Here's a quick look at what's inside: kff.org/interactive/me…

2/ #Medicare now covers 65 million older adults and younger people with disabilities, or about 1 in 5 Americans. Its size and importance often make it a big part of federal budget and health care spending discussions.

By 2060, enrollment is expected to grow to 93 million people.

3/ The share of the US population ages 65+ will grow from 17% to 23% over that time – and this group will grow older.

24% of seniors are now age 80+. In 2060, it will be 35%.

4/ Population aging is one factor that will contribute to higher Medicare spending, since per person spending increases with age.

5/ And how will overall Medicare spending grow in the coming years?

In 2020, Medicare payments totaled $769 billion, up from just under $200 billion in 2000.

Visit our interactive to make your guess as to what that will look like a decade from now. kff.org/interactive/me…

6/ Our interactive also shows the facts on the expanding role of #MedicareAdvantage.

A decade ago, MA accounted for a quarter of total Medicare spending. A decade from now, it will be over half.

7/ Often raised in discussions of Medicare spending is the solvency of the Part A trust fund, which is at risk when Part A spending exceeds revenues and trust fund assets are depleted.

Our interactive shows the latest solvency projections & explains what this means.

8/ Population aging & ⬆️ health care costs will keep putting pressure on Medicare spending. How to sustain the program long term is ripe for policy discussion.

Bookmark this link! We’ll keep it updated w/the latest data to help inform these discussions:
kff.org/interactive/me…

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