The Kaiser Family Foundation released a report examining proposed Medicare changes in the current bills, including provisions affecting MA plans, prescription drug coverage, and other payment reform. These proposed changes are also compared to previous legislative action affecting Medicare over the last fifteen years.

From the report:

Although Medicare is not the main focus of current health reform legislation, the primary proposals under consideration in the House (H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009) and the Senate (Senate Finance Committee Chairman’s Mark, America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009) include a number of provisions that would affect Medicare program expenditures. Medicare savings provisions in H.R. 3200 are projected to reduce program expenditures by $539 billion over the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, while other provisions would increase Medicare expenditures by $320 billion, for a net reduction of $218 billion over 10 years, according to CBO.1 The Senate Finance Committee legislation is estimated to decrease net Medicare spending by $379 billion between 2010 and 2019, including $91 billion in additional spending and $470 billion in spending reductions.2 This policy brief considers the proposed 10-year Medicare savings in these health reform proposals in the context of other laws enacted during the last 15 years.

Full report: Medicare Savings in Perspective: A Comparison of 2009 Health Reform Legislation and Other Laws in the Last 15 Years (PDF | 355.99 KB)

The Kaiser Family Foundation. (2009). Medicare savings in perspective: A comparison of 2009 health reform legislation and other laws in the last 15 years.