Category: Medicare spending and financing

September 11, 2017 / Medicare spending and financing

Why have Medicare costs grown so much slower than the costs of employer-sponsored insurance?

In Medicare, the prices paid to providers are set by law. In contrast, commercial insurers usually negotiate prices with providers. As we discuss below, prices negotiated by commercial insurers vary wildly across providers and insurers, and prices have grown faster for providers with more market power.

September 18, 2014 / Beneficiaries and coverage, Medicare spending and financing

Medicare Spending: Making Sense of the Growth Rates

If you missed the Commission meeting last week, you might have missed this piece of analysis of the spending growth trends in Medicare.