California Below Average When it Comes to National Medicare Reimbursement Costs

Between 1992 and 2006 Medicare spending only increased an average of less than three percent per year in the state according to the New England Journal of Medicine. It is one of the lowest increases during that time period compared to high-increase states such as Florida which averaged around five percent per year.

Items such as hospital beds and sophisticated medical equipment appear to be the primary reason Medicare spending varies greatly in different regions of the country. That’s because doctors typically will spend more where there is more.

Many Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries Unaware of Reform Provisions

A survey released in July 2010 by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) indicated that only 17% of seniors across the country were able to correctly answer half of the 12 random questions about the new health reform law and its key provisions. The survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive from July 9 to July 12, was based on 636 responses from adults ages 65 and older.

There are about 45 million Americans enrolled in Medicare and many of them need help understanding how the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) will impact the Medicare program and in particular, their benefits.

That is why the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent out a new mailing called “Medicare and the New Health Law - What it Means to You.” The purpose of the brochure is to outline the key points to the new Affordable Care Act that was put into law on March 23.

National Council on Aging Survey Findings

NCOA officials said that the survey illustrates the broad misunderstanding among Medicare beneficiaries about the health reform law. In particular, the survey found that: