Premium Support and the Impact on Medicare Beneficiaries

by Harriet Komisar, AARP Public Policy Institute,

Lynda Flowers, AARP Public Policy Institute

Claire Noel-Miller

Leigh Purvis, AARP Public Policy Institute

Keith Lind, AARP Public Policy Institute

Under a premium support system, the federal government would replace Medicare beneficiaries’ guaranteed benefit package with a fixed dollar amount or “defined contribution” that

beneficiaries would apply toward their health care coverage.  This fact sheet describes the likely impact on Medicare beneficiaries of moving to a premium support system, also known as a

defined contribution or voucher system.

Read the full report.

costs to beneficiaries over timeMost Medicare beneficiaries cannot afford to pay more for their health carePremium support could lead to reduced access and higher risk of catastrophic

out-of-pocket medical expenses for Medicare beneficiaries with lower incomePremium support assumes that beneficiaries are willing and able to make complex health care coverage decisions

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