A 16 minute Khan Academy overview of the Medicare System

Medicare Overview— Khan Academy (16 minutes)

A history of how Medicare and Medicaid came to be passed into law, from the beginnings of the 20th century to the rejected bill during the Kennedy administration to its final passage into law during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. Of interesting note was the lack of intent in creating a totally nationalised healthcare system, even back in the 60s: 

> As for Medicare, it was modeled on health insurance practice that was current in 1965 in ways that respected the contribution that the private sector had made to health care delivery and finance. No one in Congress seriously proposed that the Federal Government should get directly involved in the health care business by operating hospitals or drafting doctors into national service. The program also reflected some of the wisdom of Falk et al. from the thirties and forties who had wanted a health insurance program run separately from cash disability programs. The doctor who treats a patient does not also have the right to certify him or her for disability benefits (Berkowitz, 1987). Furthermore, Medicare was a national program, rather than a source of funds for State programs.

Medicare and Medicaid: The Past as Prologue

A brief overview of the Medicare system from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

An Overview of Medicare | KFF

A 45-page document on Medicare, essentially everything one would want to know about the system and who it covers.

Medicare Primer— KFF

Medicare Advantage quick facts and statistics. It is interesting to note the rapid rise in the number of Medicare beneficiaries opting for Advantage plans over the past decade. 

![Figure](https://www.kff.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/2052-22-Figure-1.png)

Medicare Advantage | KFF

Overview of Medicare Part D— Prescription Drug Benefit. 

Interesting to note the changes in the standard benefit plans, which has been the case over recent years as per capita spending has increased. 

![](https://www.kff.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/9247-03-Figure-3.png)

An Overview of the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit | KFF

The economics of financing Medicare (a combination of dedicated taxes and general revenue), and the political background.

Economics of Financing Medicare

Key Facts:

> Medicare spending was 15 percent of total federal spending in 2018, and is projected to rise to 18 percent by 2029.

> Based on the latest projections in the 2019 Medicare Trustees report, the Medicare Hospital Insurance (Part A) trust fund is projected to be depleted in 2026, the same as the 2018 projection.

> In 2018, Medicare benefit payments totaled $731 billion, up from $462 billion in 2008.

> As a share of total Medicare benefit spending, payments to Medicare Advantage plans for Part A and Part B benefits increased by nearly 50 percent between 2008 and 2018, from 21 percent ($99 billion) to 32 percent ($232 billion) of total spending, as enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans increased over these years.

> Average annual growth in Medicare per capita spending was 1.7 percent between 2010 and 2018, down from 7.3 percent between 2000 and 2010, due in part to the Affordable Care Act’s reductions in payments to providers and plans, and to an influx of younger beneficiaries from the baby boom generation aging on to Medicare, who have lower per capita health care costs.

> Medicare per capita spending is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.1 percent over the next 10 years (2018 to 2028), due to growing Medicare enrollment, increased use of services and intensity of care, and rising health care prices.

The Facts on Medicare Spending and Financing | KFF

An overview and history of medicare in the U.S.

The U.S. Healthcare System— Medicare

Mar 17, 2021 • 8 blocks

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