The California HealthCare Foundation recently published its 2010 overview report on the demographics, health status, insurance coverage, quality of care, utilization, and spending of Medicare in California. Consumer advocates, health care providers, and policymakers can use its factual framework to better understand California’s Medicare population and inform their efforts in designing effective programs and policies for the state’s beneficiaries.
Some of the report’s key findings include:
- California’s elderly population (those age 65 and older) is expected to more than double between 2000 and 2030.
- California has the largest number of Medicare beneficiaries of any state — 4.5 million enrollees. This number will continue to increase as California’s population ages and the percentage of those by Medicare rises.
- Medicare’s reimbursement for care delivered to California beneficiaries is higher than the national average — as of 2006, it’s about $600 more per beneficiary.
- In 2004 and 2005, total annual medical payments per Medicare beneficiary in California averaged $11,326, of which $1,330 (11%) came out of the beneficiaries’ own pockets.
- A large percentage of Medicare beneficiaries suffer from multiple chronic illnesses. In 2005, 79% reported having two or more chronic conditions and 37% reported four or more.
Download the full report for more information:
