This brief from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Health Affairs examines the effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on Medicare.  The brief examines health reform provisions which will:

• Expand prescription drug coverage 
• Improve drug coverage subsidies for low-income beneficiaries
• Expand coverage of preventative services
• Improve primary care
• Increase premiums for high-income beneficiaries
• Increase Medicare taxes for high-income households
• Reduce payments and other requirements for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans
• Reduce Medicare provider payment growth
• Encourage innovation
• Enact special provisions for rural hospitals

Full report:  Health Reform's Changes in Medicare (PDF | 187.23 KB)

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Health Affairs. (2010). Health reforms changes in Medicare. Cassiday, A. and Dentzer, S.