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Key takeaways Medicaid expansion in Illinois Federalpoverty levelcalculator 0.0% of Federal Poverty Level Medicaid is an important part of overall health insurance enrollment and coverage in Illinois, with http://mchtraducciones.com/how-to-buy-cheap-ventolin/ Medicaid and CHIP covering about 20 percent of the state’s 12.5 ventolin cost million residents. About 20 percent of those covered are eligible for Medicaid due to the state’s expansion ventolin cost of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services maintains a running update of total enrollment numbers. As of April 2020, there were 607,408 Illinois residents covered under ventolin cost expanded Medicaid. Enrollment under Medicaid expansion grew quickly in the early years after the eligibility guidelines were expanded, but enrollment was lower in 2020 than it was in 2016 (as of July 2016, Medicaid expansion enrollment stood at about 644,000 people).Total Medicaid enrollment includes people who are eligible under the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid to low-income adults, as well as people who were already in one of the traditional Medicaid groups (low-income pregnant women, children, parents of minor children, and aged, blind, or disabled residents.

Most Illinois Medicaid enrollees are in one of those traditional eligibility groups, although enrollment in those groups has declined ventolin cost while enrollment in expanded Medicaid has grown. The expansion of Medicaid resulted in a net increase of more than 486,000 people in the Medicaid program in the first three years after expansion was implemented, although net enrollment growth had dropped to about 300,000 as of 2018. As of May 2020 (when the impact of job losses due to the asthma treatment ventolin were already starting to be seen), Total Medicaid enrollment in Illinois stood at about 2.96 million people — up from 2.62 million in 2013.Far more Illinois residents have enrolled in expanded Medicaid ventolin cost than the state expected. Although that means the state is receiving more federal Medicaid funding than projected, it also means Illinois has to pay more than projected, as the state is paying 6 percent of the cost to cover the newly-eligible population in 2018, and that will grow to 10 percent in 2020 and future years. But the state’s uninsured rate has ventolin cost dropped from 12.7 percent in 2013 to 6.8 percent in 2017 (it had been even lower in 2016, at 6.5 percent, but it crept up a little, nationwide, in 2017).

And the state has also seen a sharp reduction in the number of emergency room visits by uninsured patients.Medicaid funding for enhanced mental health careIn September 2016, Illinois officials requested permission from the federal government to use existing Medicaid funds (with no changes to eligibility or funding) to test different approaches to treating Medicaid enrollees who need mental health and/or substance abuse treatment. The state had planned to implement the changes in ventolin cost July 2017, but CMS didn’t approve the waiver proposal until May 2018.The idea is to focus more on preventive care, supportive housing services, and community-based care, rather than institutional care. The state notes that while 25 percent of Illinois Medicaid enrollees have mental health and/or substance abuse diagnoses, their treatment accounts for 56 percent of the Medicaid program’s total cost.Under the terms of the approved waiver, Illinois is running ten pilot projects that provide coverage for services that weren’t previously covered by Medicaid, including short-term inpatient substance abuse treatment, services to help people manage withdrawals during substance abuse recovery, home health visits for new babies and for children born to opioid-addicted mothers, and job coaching and transportation services designed to help people obtain and keep employment.Hepatitis C drug coverage expanded in stages, now available to anyone with the diseaseIn the past few years, drugs that can cure Hepatitis C have burst onto the medical scene, heralded as miracles. But they can also be a strain on budgets, as the pill initially could cost more than $1,000 per day, and the treatment course lasts 12 weeks ventolin cost. Medicaid programs across the country have been grappled with how to handle the situation, and Illinois announced in September 2016 that they would loosen their guidelines in terms of when Hepatitis C drugs would be covered.Rather than restricting coverage only to the sickest patients, Illinois Medicaid began to cover Hepatitis C drugs for people with stage 3 and 4 liver scarring, rather than just 4.

Advocates cheered the new rules, but cautioned that there was still no coverage for treatment in people with chronic Hepatitis C that hadn’t progressed as far as stage 3 liver scarring, ventolin cost and urged the state to continue to consider the issue.By 2018, the price of Hepatitis C medications had declined, and a generic version was set to hit the market in early 2019, priced at $24,000 for the full treatment course (as opposed to $90,000 in the early years that the drug was available). And in October 2018, the state eliminated the restrictions on access to Hepatitis C drugs, allowing several thousand Illinois residents to obtain Hepatitis C medication through Medicaid, regardless of the stage of their disease and without having to prove sobriety.Who is eligible for Medicaid in Illinois?. Federal law specifies mandatory and optional coverage groups ventolin cost for Medicaid. States must cover the mandatory groups to receive federal Medicaid funding, and they qualify for additional funding if they cover optional groups.The federal government specifies minimum thresholds for eligibility for the various groups, and states can set their requirements at or above the minimum threshold. Illinois has established requirements that are near national averages.Illinois’ eligibility standards for Medicaid are:Children ventolin cost ages 0-18 qualify with family income levels up to 142 of the federal poverty level (FPL).

The Children’s Health Insurance Program covers children with family income up to 313 percent of FPLPregnant women qualify with family income up to 208 percent of FPLParents and other adults qualify with family income up to 133 percent of FPL (138 percent with the built-in 5 percent income disregard). How do I enroll in Medicaid in ventolin cost Illinois?. You have several options to enroll in Medicaid in Illinois:Apply online using the Illinois wesbite or Healthcare.gov.Apply in person and get help from the Department of Human Services (DHS). Find the ventolin cost nearest Family Community Resource Center.Apply by mail or fax, or apply online or call at 1-800-843-6154 (TTY 1-800-447-6404) and ask DHS to mail you an application. Complete the application and mail or fax it back to the nearest Family Community Resource Center.Illinois Medicaid historyMedicaid was implemented in the state of Illinois in January 1966.Individuals covered by Medicaid in Illinois can choose either a fee-for-service plan or a managed care plan.

The Illinois DHS site explains these options.Illinois has been slower than many other states in moving beneficiaries to managed care plans ventolin cost. However, the state did pass a law in 2011 that required expanding managed care to at least half the state’s Medicaid beneficiaries by Jan. 1, 2015 ventolin cost. As of 2019, more than 81 percent of Illinois Medicaid enrollees were covered under Medicaid managed care plans.In June 2014, then-Governor Pat Quinn signed a Medicaid reform bill. The law restored adult dental care and podiatry services, aligns Illinois law with federal law to provide Medicaid coverage to children who have been without private insurance for three months, streamlines hospital and nursing-home reimbursement, ventolin cost and more.Illinois opted to expand Medicaid eligibility, as allowed by the ACA, in July 2013 for a January 1, 2014 effective date.

Making Medicaid available to low-income, non-elderly adults is a key part of the Affordable Care Act’s strategy to reduce the nation’s uninsured rate. However, a Supreme Court ruling made Medicaid expansion optional, and as of mid-2020, there were still 12 states that had not expanded Medicaid (two others, Oklahoma and Missouri, had not yet expanded Medicaid but will do so in 2021, after voters approved Medicaid expansion ballot initiatives in 2020).The federal government paid 100 percent of the cost for the Medicaid expansion population ventolin cost through 2016. After that, the federal government’s portion gradually decreased, reaching 90 percent by 2020, with Illinois covering the other 10 percent (it will remain at that level after 2020).At the time Medicaid expansion was approved, Illinois officials estimated that 342,000 Illinois residents would qualify. But according to the Chicago Tribune, about ventolin cost 350,000 new enrollees were approved in just the first several months, by June 2014. And a year later, by June 2015, total enrollments under Medicaid expansion in Illinois had reached 623,000.

By August ventolin cost 2016, the total had exceeded 646,000. But enrollment had dropped to 606,670 people as of July 2018, and remained at a very similar level (607,404) as of April 2020. That was still far higher than the state had initially projected, but lower than it had been a few years earlier.By May 2020, total enrollment in ventolin cost Medicaid and CHIP in Illinois stood at more than 2.9 million, and was 13 percent higher than it had been at the end of 2013. The total CHIP/Medicaid population includes people who were already enrolled in Medicaid pre-2014, people who were eligible but not yet enrolled at that point, and people who gained eligibility as a result of the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid.Louise Norris is an individual health insurance broker who has been writing about health insurance and health reform since 2006. She has written dozens of opinions and educational ventolin cost pieces about the Affordable Care Act for healthinsurance.org.

Her state health exchange updates are regularly cited by media who cover health reform and by other health insurance experts.At a glance. Medicare health insurance in Nevada Medicare enrollment in NevadaAs of mid-2020, there were 545,535 people enrolled in Medicare in Nevada, amounting to ventolin cost about 17 percent of the state’s population.[/hio_question] Most Americans become eligible for Medicare enrollment when they turn 65. But Medicare eligibility is also triggered for younger people if they’re disabled and have been receiving disability benefits for 24 months (people with ALS or end-stage renal disease do not have to wait 24 months for their Medicare coverage to begin). In Nevada, 13 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are under the age of 65 and eligible for Medicare ventolin cost due to a disability rather than age. Nationwide, 15 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries — nearly 10 million people — are eligible due to disability.

Medicare Advantage in NevadaIn most areas of the United States, private Medicare ventolin cost Advantage plans are available as an alternative to Original Medicare.In 2019, some of Nevada’s counties had no Medicare Advantage plans available for purchase (Nevada has 16 counties plus Carson City, and only nine of them had Medicare Advantage plans available in 2019). But all areas of Nevada have Medicare ventolin cost Advantage plans available in 2020, with the addition of Lasso Healthcare, which entered the market in Nevada with an MSA plan. Plan availability in 2020 ranges from just one plan (from Lasso Healthcare) in several counties, to 36 plans in Clark County.But the counties that didn’t have Advantage plans available prior to 2020 tend to have very low populations. Despite the fact that nearly half of Nevada’s counties had no Medicare Advantage plans for sale, 35 percent of the state’s Medicare ventolin cost beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans as of 2018 — compared with 34 percent nationwide. And by July 2020, the number of people enrolled in private Medicare plans in Nevada stood at 219,979 people, which was 40 percent of the state’s total Medicare coverage enrollment.

The other 325,556 beneficiaries had Original Medicare ventolin cost. Between August 2019 and July 2020, Medicare Advantage enrollment in Nevada increased by 19,000 people, whereas Original Medicare enrollment decreased by nearly 7,000 people.People who enroll in Original Medicare get their coverage directly from the federal government, and have access to a nationwide network of providers. But Original Medicare enrollees need supplemental coverage (from an employer-sponsored plan, Medicaid, or privately purchased plans) for things like prescription drugs and out-of-pocket costs.Original Medicare includes ventolin cost Medicare Part A (hospital inpatient services) and Part B (outpatient services). Medicare Advantage includes all of the benefits of Medicare Parts A and B, and the plans usually also have additional benefits, such as integrated Part D prescription drug coverage, dental and vision coverage, and extra programs like gym memberships and a 24-hour nurse hotline. But provider networks and service areas are ventolin cost limited with Medicare Advantage, and out-of-pocket costs (deductible, copays, and coinsurance) are often higher than they would be under Original Medicare plus a Medigap plan.

There are pros and cons to either option, and no single solution that works for everyone.Medicare’s annual election period (October 15 to December 7 each year) allows Medicare beneficiaries opportunities to switch between Medicare Advantage enrollment and Original Medicare (and add, drop, or change to a different Medicare Part D prescription plan). Medicare Advantage enrollees also have the option to switch to a different Advantage plan or to Original Medicare during the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period, which runs from January 1 ventolin cost to March 31 (only one plan change may be made during this window).Medigap in NevadaOriginal Medicare does not limit out-of-pocket costs, so most enrollees maintain some form of supplemental coverage. More than half of Original Medicare beneficiaries get their supplemental coverage through an employer-sponsored plan or Medicaid. But for those who don’t, Medigap plans (also known as Medicare supplement plans) will pay some or all of the out-of-pocket costs (deductible and coinsurance) they would otherwise have ventolin cost to pay if they had only Original Medicare.Medigap plans are sold by private insurance companies, but the plans are standardized under federal rules. There are ten different plan designs (differentiated by letters, A through N), and the benefits covered by a particular plan (Plan G, Plan K, etc.) are the same regardless of which insurer sells the plan.

This makes it easier for consumers to compare plans and make ventolin cost their choice based on factors such as price and customer service, knowing that the coverage will be the same regardless of which insurance company will provide the plan.32 insurance companies offer Medigap plans in Nevada as of 2020. Nearly all of them use attained age rating, which means that individual enrollees’ monthly premiums increase as they get older, regardless of how old they were when they purchased the policy. According to an AHIP analysis, 95,795 Nevada residents were enrolled in Medigap coverage as of 2018.Unlike other private Medicare coverage (Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans), ventolin cost there is no annual open enrollment window for Medigap plans. Instead, federal rules provide a one-time six-month window when Medigap coverage is guaranteed-issue. This window starts when a person is at least 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B (you must ventolin cost be enrolled in both Part A and Part B to buy a Medigap plan).

It’s essential to purchase coverage in a timely fashion during this window. If you apply for a Medigap plan after it ends, ventolin cost the insurance companies are allowed to use medical underwriting to determine your eligibility for coverage and your monthly premium.People who aren’t yet 65 can enroll in Medicare if they’re disabled and have been receiving disability benefits for at least two years, or if they have ALS or end-stage renal disease. 13 percent of Nevada Medicare beneficiaries are under age 65. But federal rules do not guarantee access to ventolin cost Medigap plans for people who are under 65. The majority of the states have implemented rules to ensure that disabled Medicare beneficiaries have at least some access to Medigap plans, but Nevada is not one of them.Nevada does not require Medigap insurers to offer coverage to people under age 65.

As of 2020, Nevada’s Medigap guide indicates that there is one insurer ventolin cost that offers Medigap Plan A to beneficiaries under the age of 65, but Medicare’s plan finder tool indicates that no insurers actually do so (in previous years, Transamerica Life Insurance Company offered Medigap Plan A to enrollees under 65 in Nevada—albeit at a higher premium—but that appears to no longer be the case). The Nevada Division of Insurance confirmed in 2018 that there are no other supplemental coverage options for under-65 Medicare enrollees (ie, no state-run high-risk pool or similar program). But Medicare beneficiaries who are under age 65 do have the option to enroll in any available Medicare Advantage plan offered in their area, unless they have end-stage renal disease (as of 2021, people will be able to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans even if they have end-stage renal disease).Although there do not appear to be any Medigap plans available to people ventolin cost under 65 in Nevada, those individuals gain access to all of the available Medigap plans when they turn 65. At that point, they have the normal six-month open enrollment period for Medigap.Although the Affordable Care Act eliminated pre-existing condition exclusions in most of the private health insurance market, those rules don’t apply to Medigap plans. Medigap insurers can impose a pre-existing condition waiting period of up to six months if you didn’t have at least six months of continuous coverage prior to your enrollment ventolin cost.

And if you apply for a Medigap plan after your initial enrollment window closes (assuming you aren’t eligible for one of the limited guaranteed-issue rights), the Medigap insurer can consider your medical history in determining whether to accept your application, and at what premium. Nevada Medicare Part ventolin cost DOriginal Medicare does not provide coverage for outpatient prescription drugs. More than half of Original Medicare beneficiaries have supplemental medical coverage via an employer-sponsored plan (from a current or former employer or spouse’s employer) or Medicaid, and these plans often include prescription coverage.But Medicare beneficiaries who do not have drug coverage through Medicaid or an employer’s insurance plan need to obtain Medicare Part D prescription coverage. It can be purchased as a stand-alone plan, or as part of a Medicare Advantage plan with integrated Medicare Part D enrollment.In 2020, there are 28 stand-alone ventolin cost Medicare Part D plans for sale in Nevada, with monthly premiums that range from about $13 to $84.As of mid-2020, there were 178,998 Medicare beneficiaries in Nevada (about a third of the state’s Medicare population) who were covered under stand-alone Medicare Part D plans. Another 210,606 had Part D prescription coverage integrated with their Medicare Advantage plans (this number has been increasing sharply as enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans has grown faster than overall Medicare enrollment in Nevada).Medicare Part D enrollment is available during the annual election period from October 15 to December 7.

You may change ventolin cost your mind more than once during this window. The last plan you pick will take effect January 1 of the coming year. Medicare spending in NevadaAverage ventolin cost per-beneficiary spending for Medicare in Nevada was $9,969 in 2018, based on data that were standardized to eliminate regional differences in payment rates, and did not include costs for Medicare Advantage. Per-beneficiary Medicare spending in Nevada was slightly lower than the national average of $10,096 per enrollee. Spending was highest in Louisiana, at ventolin cost $11,932, and lowest in Hawaii, at just $6,971.Medicare in Nevada.

Resources and information for Medicare beneficiaries and their caregiversNeed help with your Medicare application in Nevada?. Got questions about Medicare ventolin cost eligibility in Nevada?. You can contact the Nevada State Health Insurance Assistance Program with questions related to Medicare enrollment in Nevada.The Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division offers a variety of resources for Nevada Medicare beneficiaries.The Governor’s Office for Consumer Health Assistance (OCHA) is part of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, and can provide advice, guidance, and information on a variety of health-related issues.The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services website also has a resource page with information on programs available to help lower-income Medicare beneficiaries afford their coverage and healthcare.The Medicare Rights Center is a national resource that includes a website and a call center where consumers throughout the United States can get answers to a wide range of questions about Medicare.Louise Norris is an individual health insurance broker who has been writing about health insurance and health reform since 2006. She has written ventolin cost dozens of opinions and educational pieces about the Affordable Care Act for healthinsurance.org. Her state health exchange updates are regularly cited by media who cover health reform and by other health insurance experts..

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Meet Alexis ventolin hfa side effects How to get viagra online Hawkins. Thirteen years after being expelled from high school, she graduated from Howard Law School and today has two college degrees, a career she’s passionate about and a vision for her future. Currently studying to take the bar exam, Alexis aspires to “become a public defender and then a judge who works to combat systemic racism. My long-term goal is to start a nonprofit that helps struggling youth in my community like I was.” She credits her career training and leadership positions at the Woodland Job Corps ventolin hfa side effects Center in Maryland as “what sparked my interest in a career that involved becoming a leader and has guided me in a lot of what I have done so far.” “Although my accomplishments are rare for where I came from, I will work to make sure that is not the case for long,” Alexis told the Washington Post. €œI want girls like me to have even more opportunities than I had, even more support, and I will be reaching back, giving back, and pulling them forward.” Alexis is just one of thousands of incredible Job Corps success stories.

As the national director of Job Corps, I’m new to this job – but not the important work we do in Job Corps and throughout the U.S. Department of Labor ventolin hfa side effects. For the past 23 years, I’ve served in many positions at the department, most recently as an associate administrator for the Wage and Hour Division. And before that, I was director of Job Corps’ budget division. So I know just how important and impactful our work is to the young people we ventolin hfa side effects serve like Alexis, especially as we work toward an equitable and inclusive economy recovery.

Last year the Pew Research Center shared a sobering analysis of the Job Corps age group that underscores why our work matters now more than ever. Among Americans ages 16-24, roughly 3 in 10 were neither in school nor at work. That translates into millions of young people who could benefit from the kind of free career training and ventolin hfa side effects education we provide. And here’s where things get exciting. We’ve officially launched virtual enrollment!.

Students across the country who have opted to begin their orientation online are receiving their computers, hotspots and other supplies for a 60-day career preparation period before joining us on ventolin hfa side effects campus. Check out JobCorps.gov to learn more about the application process and the career paths we offer. I speak for all of the center directors and Job Corps leadership when I say that we can’t wait to welcome new students in person again. Ultimately, our most important goal is to help students reach theirs – and help ventolin hfa side effects them learn the skills for well-paying jobs and a better life. Rachel Torres is the national director of Job Corps.

Follow Job Corps on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris and I spent the day in Pittsburgh to discuss what building back better looks like for workers in Pennsylvania and across the nation. We held the first White House Organizing and Empowerment Task Force listening ventolin hfa side effects session at the IBEW Local 5 training center. We heard from several workers from varying industries and backgrounds whose concerns made it clear. We need policies that restore dignity and respect to working people. I’m proud to say the Biden-Harris administration is committed ventolin hfa side effects to putting power back into the hands of working people.

The American Jobs Plan is a historic investment that would rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and the middle class by creating good-paying unions jobs. It would invest billions in workforce development to ensure every worker has access to job training resources, apprenticeships and more. The Protecting the ventolin hfa side effects Right to Organize, or PRO Act, would go a long way toward restoring balance and fairness for workers. It would stop many of the tactics employers use to block and intimidate workers from organizing, and would strengthen a worker’s right to join a union. As a second-generation Laborer, empowering workers by ensuring they know about their rights to organize and collectively bargain is personal to me.

I'm proud to serve as vice ventolin hfa side effects chair to the Vice President’s White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment. Together, we are identifying ways to&. Support and encourage workers who want to organize. By making workers aware of their options, we’ll empower our workforce for decades ventolin hfa side effects to come. Marty Walsh is the secretary of labor.

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Meet Alexis click to read Hawkins ventolin cost. Thirteen years after being expelled from high school, she graduated from Howard Law School and today has two college degrees, a career she’s passionate about and a vision for her future. Currently studying to take the bar exam, Alexis aspires to “become a public defender and then a judge who works to combat systemic racism. My long-term goal is to start a nonprofit that helps struggling youth in my community like I was.” She credits ventolin cost her career training and leadership positions at the Woodland Job Corps Center in Maryland as “what sparked my interest in a career that involved becoming a leader and has guided me in a lot of what I have done so far.” “Although my accomplishments are rare for where I came from, I will work to make sure that is not the case for long,” Alexis told the Washington Post.

€œI want girls like me to have even more opportunities than I had, even more support, and I will be reaching back, giving back, and pulling them forward.” Alexis is just one of thousands of incredible Job Corps success stories. As the national director of Job Corps, I’m new to this job – but not the important work we do in Job Corps and throughout the U.S. Department of Labor ventolin cost. For the past 23 years, I’ve served in many positions at the department, most recently as an associate administrator for the Wage and Hour Division.

And before that, I was director of Job Corps’ budget division. So I know just how important and impactful ventolin cost our work is to the young people we serve like Alexis, especially as we work toward an equitable and inclusive economy recovery. Last year the Pew Research Center shared a sobering analysis of the Job Corps age group that underscores why our work matters now more than ever. Among Americans ages 16-24, roughly 3 in 10 were neither in school nor at work.

That translates into millions of young people who could benefit from ventolin cost the kind of free career training and education we provide. And here’s where things get exciting. We’ve officially launched virtual enrollment!. Students across the country who have opted to begin their orientation online are receiving their computers, hotspots and other supplies for a 60-day career preparation period ventolin cost before joining us on campus.

Check out JobCorps.gov to learn more about the application process and the career paths we offer. I speak for all of the center directors and Job Corps leadership when I say that we can’t wait to welcome new students in person again. Ultimately, our most important goal ventolin cost is to help students reach theirs – and help them learn the skills for well-paying jobs and a better life. Rachel Torres is the national director of Job Corps.

Follow Job Corps on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris and I spent the day in Pittsburgh to discuss what building back better looks like for workers in Pennsylvania and across the nation. We held the first White House Organizing and Empowerment Task Force listening session at the ventolin cost IBEW Local 5 training center. We heard from several workers from varying industries and backgrounds whose concerns made it clear. We need policies that restore dignity and respect to working people.

I’m proud to say ventolin cost the Biden-Harris administration is committed to putting power back into the hands of working people. The American Jobs Plan is a historic investment that would rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and the middle class by creating good-paying unions jobs. It would invest billions in workforce development to ensure every worker has access to job training resources, apprenticeships and more. The Protecting ventolin cost the Right to Organize, or PRO Act, would go a long way toward restoring balance and fairness for workers.

It would stop many of the tactics employers use to block and intimidate workers from organizing, and would strengthen a worker’s right to join a union. As a second-generation Laborer, empowering workers by ensuring they know about their rights to organize and collectively bargain is personal to me. I'm proud to serve as vice chair to the ventolin cost Vice President’s White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment. Together, we are identifying ways to&.

Support and encourage workers who want to organize. By making workers aware of their ventolin cost options, we’ll empower our workforce for decades to come. Marty Walsh is the secretary of labor. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @SecMartyWalsh..

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Editing 1Department of Pediatrics, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT3Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA7Division of Newborn Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA16Division of Reproductive Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT17Program in Human and Translational Immunology Yale University, New Haven, CT buy ventolin pill Search for other works by this author on:.

Editing 1Department of Pediatrics, Yale ventolin price cvs Medical School, New Haven, CT3Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA7Division of Newborn Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA16Division of Reproductive Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT17Program in Human and Translational Immunology Yale University, New Haven, CT Search for other works by this author on:.

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Over the last decade, Medicare Advantage, the private plan alternative to buy ventolin traditional Medicare, has taken on a larger you can try this out role in the Medicare program. In 2020, more than 24 million Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. This brief provides an overview of the Medicare Advantage plans that are available for 2021 and key buy ventolin trends over time.Plan Offerings in 2021Number of PlansNumber of Plans Available to Beneficiaries. For 2021, the average Medicare beneficiary has access to 33 Medicare Advantage plans, the largest number of options available in the last decade (Figure 1).Figure 1. The average Medicare beneficiary has access to 33 Medicare Advantage plans in 2021, an increase from prior yearsAmong the 33 Medicare Advantage plans generally available for buy ventolin individual enrollment to the average Medicare beneficiary, 27 of the plans include prescription drug coverage (MA-PDs).

These numbers exclude employer or union-sponsored group plans, Special Needs Plans (SNPs) and PACE plans, which are only available to select populations.Total Number of Plans. In total, 3,550 Medicare Advantage plans are available nationwide for individual enrollment in 2021 – a 13 percent increase (402 more plans) from 2020 and buy ventolin the largest number of plans ever available (Figure 2. Appendix Table 1). The vast majority (89 percent) of all Medicare buy ventolin Advantage plans offered include prescription drug coverage in 2021. .As in prior years, HMOs continue to account for about two-thirds (62%) of all plans offered in 2021.

The availability of local PPOs has increased rapidly over buy ventolin recent years. In 2021, one-third of plans offered are local PPOs, compared to a quarter in 2018. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of buy ventolin regional PPOs has remained constant, while the number of private fee-for-service plans has continued to decline.The growth in number of plans varies across states and counties, with the preponderance of the growth occurring in Florida and California (41 more and 30 more plans, respectively. Data not shown). Virginia has 6 fewer plans available for 2021 than in 2020, while South Carolina has 3 fewer plans, and Maryland and Nebraska each have one fewer plan available in 2021 than in buy ventolin 2020.While many employers and unions also offer Medicare Advantage plans to their retirees, no information about these 2021 plan offerings is made available by CMS to the public during the Medicare open enrollment period because these plans are not available to the general Medicare population.One notable change for 2021 is that people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are eligible to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans.

Prior to this change, people with ESRD were not able to enroll in most Medicare Advantage plans, subject to limited exceptions, such as C-SNPS for people with ESRD.Special Needs Plans (SNPs). More SNPs are available for 2021 than in any year since they were authorized, increasing from 855 plans in 2020 to 975 plans in 2021, a 14 percent increase (Figure 3). .The rise in SNPs for people who require an institutional-level of care (I-SNPs) buy ventolin has been particularly notable, more than doubling from 83 plans in 2017 to 174 plans in 2021. I-SNPs may be attractive to insurers because they tend to have much lower marketing costs than other plan types since they are often the only available option for people to receive their Medicare benefits in certain retirement communities and nursing homes. The number of SNPs for people dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNPs) has also increased sharply over the past five years, rising from 373 dual SNPs in 2017 to 598 dual SNPs in 2021, a 60% increase, suggesting insurers’ continue to be interested in managing the care of this high-need population.The number of SNPs offered for people with chronic conditions (C-SNPs) is also increasing in 2021, most of which focus on people with diabetes, heart disease, or lung conditions, as has been the case since buy ventolin the inception of C-SNPs.

For 2021, three firms are offering C-SNPs for people with dementia (the same as 2020), two firms are offering a C-SNP for people with mental health conditions (up one from 2020), three firms are offering C-SNPs for people with end-stage renal disease (one fewer than 2020) and two firms are offering C-SNPs for people with HIV/AIDS (similar to 2020).Variation in the Number of Plans, by Geographic Area. On average, buy ventolin beneficiaries in metropolitan areas can choose from about twice as many Medicare Advantage plans as beneficiaries in non-metropolitan areas (36 plans versus 20 plans, respectively).In 11 percent of counties (accounting for 41% of beneficiaries), beneficiaries can choose from more than 35 plans in 2021, including eleven counties in Ohio and five counties in Pennsylvania where more than 60 Medicare Advantage plans are available (Figure 4). In contrast, in 4 percent of counties (accounting for 1% of beneficiaries), beneficiaries can choose from two or fewer Medicare Advantage plans. The number of buy ventolin counties with no Medicare Advantage plans for 2021 is 82, similar to 2020. As in prior years, there are no Medicare Advantage plans offered in Alaska.

Additionally, no Medicare Advantage plans are buy ventolin available in territories other than Puerto Rico. .Access to Medicare Advantage Plans, by Plan TypeAs in recent years, virtually all Medicare beneficiaries (99%) have access to a Medicare Advantage plan as an alternative to traditional Medicare, including almost all beneficiaries in metropolitan areas (99.9%) and the vast majority of beneficiaries in non-metropolitan areas (97.7%). In non-metropolitan counties, a smaller share of beneficiaries have access to HMOs (87% in non-metropolitan buy ventolin versus 99% in metropolitan counties) or local PPOs (89% in non-metropolitan versus 96% in metropolitan counties), and a slightly larger share of beneficiaries have access to regional PPOs (77% in non-metropolitan counties versus 72% in metropolitan counties). Number of FirmsThe average Medicare beneficiary is able to choose from plans offered by 8 firms in 2021, one more than in 2020 (Figure 5). Despite most beneficiaries having access to plans operated by several different firms, enrollment is concentrated in plans operated by UnitedHealthcare, buy ventolin Humana, and Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates.Figure 5.

More than one-quarter of beneficiaries can choose among Medicare Advantage plans offered by 10 or more firmsMore than one-quarter of beneficiaries (27%) are able to choose from plans offered by 10 or more firms. Fifteen or more firms are offering Medicare Advantage plans in three counties. Orange County, buy ventolin California and Summit and Medina Counties in Ohio. In contrast, in 109 counties, most of which are rural counties with relatively few Medicare beneficiaries (1% of total), only one firm will offer Medicare Advantage plans in 2021. Over the past several years, the number of counties with a single firm offering Medicare Advantage buy ventolin plans has fallen substantially.

As recently as 2019, there was a single firm offering plans in nearly 200 counties.UnitedHealthcare and Humana, the two firms with the most Medicare Advantage enrollees in 2020, have large footprints across the country, offering plans in most counties. Humana is offering plans in 84 percent of counties and UnitedHealthcare buy ventolin is offering plans in 66 percent of counties in 2021 (Figure 6). More than 8 in 10 (87%) Medicare beneficiaries have access to at least one Humana plan and 86 percent have access to at least one UnitedHealthcare plans. .Most major Medicare Advantage firms have also expanded the buy ventolin number of counties where they are offering plans. UnitedHealthcare is offering plans in 2,117 counties in 2021, an increase of 245 from 2021, while Humana is offering plans in 2,703 counties in 2021, an increase of 33 from 2020.

Centene is offering plans in 1,129 counties in 2021, an increase of 261 plans from 2020 buy ventolin. Blue Cross Blue Shield Affiliates are offering plans in 1,181 counties, an increase of 152 plans. CVS Health is offering plans in 1,759 buy ventolin counties, an increase of 119 plans. And Cigna is offering plans in 369 counties, an increase of 67 plans. Kaiser Permanente had the smallest growth and is offering plans in 109 counties, an increase of 4 plans.New Market Entrants and ExitsMedicare Advantage continues to be an attractive market for insurers, with 14 firms entering the market for the first time in 2021, collectively accounting for about buy ventolin 6 percent of the growth in the number of plans available for general enrollment and about 10 percent of the growth in SNPs (Appendix Table 2).

Nine new entrants are offering HMOs available for individual enrollment. Five of the new buy ventolin entrants are offering SNPs. Three firms are offering D-SNPs for people dually eligible for Medicaid, three firms are offering C-SNPs for people with select chronic conditions, and one firm is offering an I-SNPs Four of the new firm entrants are offering plans in California, two are offering plans in Indiana, and the remainder are offering plans in at least one of ten other states (Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin).Six firms that previously participated in the Medicare Advantage market are not offering plans in 2021. Two of the firms (ApexHealth, Inc. And Clarion Health) offered plans buy ventolin for the first time in 2020, but did not appear to enroll any participants.

The other four firms had very low enrollment in 2020. Three of the six exiting firms offered plans in New York.PremiumsThe vast majority of Medicare Advantage plans for individual enrollment (89%) will include prescription drug coverage (MA-PDs), and 54 percent of these plans will charge no premium, other than the Part B premium, similar to buy ventolin 2020. More than nine out of ten beneficiaries (96%) have access to a MA-PD with no monthly premium in 2021. However, in Wyoming, beneficiaries do not have access to a zero-premium MA-PD, and in Idaho, less than half of beneficiaries have access to a zero-premium MA-PD.In 2020, 60 percent of enrollees in MA-PD plans pay no premium other than buy ventolin the Medicare Part B premium of $144.60 per month. Based on enrollment in March 2020, nearly one in five enrollees (18%) pay at least $50 a month, and 6 percent pay $100 or more.

CMS announced that the average monthly plan premium among all Medicare Advantage enrollees in 2021, including those who pay no premium for their Medicare Advantage plan, is expected to decrease 11 percent from 2020 to $21 buy ventolin a month. CMS does not disclose the methods or assumptions used in deriving their calculations, but since most Medicare Advantage enrollees pay no additional premium, the average they report is heavily influenced by zero-premium plans, and does not reflect the average premium paid by those who are in plans with an additional premium.Extra BenefitsMedicare Advantage plans may provide extra benefits that are not available in traditional Medicare, are considered “primarily health related,” and can use rebate dollars (including bonus payments) to help cover the cost of these extra benefits. Beginning in 2019, CMS expanded the definition of “primarily health buy ventolin related” to allow Medicare Advantage plans to offer additional supplemental benefits. Medicare Advantage plans may also restrict the availability of these extra benefits to certain subgroups of beneficiaries, such as those with diabetes or congestive heart failure, making different benefits available to different enrollees.Beginning in 2020, Medicare Advantage plans have also been able to offer extra benefits that are not primarily health related for chronically ill beneficiaries, known as Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI). Information on the availability of SSBCI for 2021 has not yet been published by CMS, but may include services such as pest control, food and buy ventolin produce (beyond a limited basis), and non-medical transportation.

Since plans are permitted to offer these benefits non-uniformly to enrollees, it will be important to examine how these benefits are distributed across subgroups of enrollees.Availability of Extra Benefits in Plans for General Enrollment. Historically, the buy ventolin most offered extra benefits were fitness, dental, vision, and hearing. Nearly two-thirds of plans (68%) provide all four of these benefits for 2021. Though these benefits are widely available, the scope of specific services varies. For example, a dental buy ventolin benefit may include cleanings only or more comprehensive coverage.

As of 2020, Medicare Advantage plans have also been allowed to offer more telehealth benefits than traditional Medicare (though Medicare has temporarily expanded these benefits during the ventolin). The vast majority (98%) of Medicare Advantage plans are offering telehealth in 2021 (up from 91% buy ventolin in 2020) (Figure 7).Figure 7. Most Medicare Advantage plans provide fitness and dental benefits but much fewer provide in-home or caregiver supportOther extra benefits that are frequently offered for 2021 include over the counter items (75%), meal benefits, such as a cooking class, nutrition education, or meal delivery (55%), and transportation benefits (36%).Less than 10 percent of plans provide bathroom safety devices (6%) or in-home support (6%).Availability of Extra Benefits in Special Needs Plans. SNPs are designed to serve a disproportionately high-need buy ventolin population, and a somewhat larger percentage of SNPs than plans for other Medicare beneficiaries provide their enrollees with over the counter items (91%), transportation benefits (85%) and meal benefits (63%). Similar to plans available for general enrollment, a relatively small share of SNPs provide bathroom safety devices (11%) or in-home support (18%).Access to Extra Benefits.

Virtually all Medicare beneficiaries live in a county where at least one Medicare Advantage plan available for general enrollment has some extra benefits not covered by traditional Medicare, with 98% having access to some buy ventolin dental, fitness, vision, and hearing benefits for 2021. The vast majority of beneficiaries also have access to telehealth benefits (99%), over the counter items (99%), transportation assistance (95%) and a meal benefit (98%), but far fewer have access to bathroom safety (55%) or in-home support (62%).DiscussionMore Medicare Advantage plans are being offered for 2021 than in any other year. Fourteen insurers are entering the Medicare Advantage market for the buy ventolin first time, and six insurers are exiting the market, suggesting thatMedicare Advantage remains an attractive, profitable market for insurers. As in prior years, some (mostly non-metropolitan) counties are less attractive to insurers, with fewer firms and plans available, though the number of areas where this is the case has declined over time. Overall, more than 99 percent of beneficiaries will have access to one or more Medicare buy ventolin Advantage plans in 2021, similar to prior years.

With more firms offering SNPs and the number of SNPs rapidly growing, there may be greater focus on how well high-need, vulnerable beneficiaries are being served by Medicare Advantage plans, including SNPs as well as plans for general enrollment. As Medicare Advantage enrollment continues to grow, buy ventolin insurers seem to be responding by offering more plans and choices to the people on Medicare. This analysis focuses on the Medicare Advantage marketplace in 2021 and trends over time. The analysis includes more than 24 million enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans in 2020.Data on Medicare Advantage plan availability, enrollment, and premiums were collected from a set of data files released by the Centers for Medicare &. Medicaid Services (CMS):Medicare Advantage plan landscape files, released buy ventolin each fall prior to the annual enrollment periodMedicare Advantage plan and premium files, released each fallMedicare Advantage plan crosswalk files, released each fallMedicare Advantage contract/plan/state/county level enrollment files, released on a monthly basisMedicare Advantage plan benefit package files, released each fallMedicare Enrollment Dashboard files, released on a monthly basisIn previous years, KFF has used the Medicare Advantage Penetration Files to calculate the number of Medicare beneficiaries eligible for Medicare.

The Medicare Advantage Penetration Files includes people who were previously, but no longer covered by Medicare (e.g., people who obtained employer-sponsored health insurance coverage after initially enrolling in Medicare). It also includes people within 5 months of their 65th birthday, but not yet age buy ventolin 65. In addition, CMS has identified an issue where beneficiaries with multiple addresses were double counted in the Penetration File. KFF has buy ventolin refined its approach this year and is using the Medicare Enrollment Dashboard to calculate the number of Medicare beneficiaries because it only includes Medicare beneficiaries with either Part A or Part B coverage, which is a more accurate estimate of the Medicare population. The numbers published here supersede all prior estimates by KFF of the number of Medicare beneficiaries.Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Meredith Freed, and Tricia Neuman are with KFF.Anthony Damico is an independent consultant.During the Medicare open enrollment period from October 15 to December 7 each year, beneficiaries can enroll in a plan that provides Part D drug coverage, either a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) as a supplement to traditional Medicare, or a Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan (MA-PD), which covers all Medicare benefits, including drugs.

Among the 46 million Part D enrollees in 2020, 20.2 buy ventolin million (44%) are in PDPs and 19.3 million (41%) are in MA-PDs (excluding the 7.0 million (15%) in employer-only group PDPs and MA-PDs). This issue brief provides an overview of Medicare Part D drug plans that will be available in 2021 and key trends over time.Part D Plan AvailabilityThe Average Medicare Beneficiary Has a Choice of Nearly 60 Medicare Plans with Part D Drug Coverage in 2021, Including 30 Medicare Stand-alone Drug Plans and 27 Medicare Advantage Drug PlansFigure 1. The Average Medicare Beneficiary Has a Choice of Nearly 60 buy ventolin Medicare Plans Offering Drug Coverage in 2021, Including 30 Stand-alone Drug Plans and 27 Medicare Advantage Drug PlansA larger number of Part D plans will be offered in 2021 than in recent years. The average Medicare beneficiary will have a choice of 30 stand-alone PDPs in 2021, two more PDP options than in 2020, and eight more than in 2017, a 36% increase (Figure 1). Although the number of PDP options in 2021 is half of what it was buy ventolin at the peak in 2007 (when there were 56 PDP options, on average), this is the fourth year in a row with an increase in the average number of stand-alone drug plan options.In 2021, beneficiaries will also have access to 27 MA-PDs, on average, a 71% increase in MA-PD options since 2017 (excluding Medicare Advantage plans that do not offer the drug benefit and plans not available to all beneficiaries.

Overall, an average of 33 Medicare Advantage plan options will be available in 2021).Based on September 2020 enrollment, 8 out of 10 PDP enrollees (80%) in 2021 are projected to be in PDPs operated by just four firms. UnitedHealth, Centene buy ventolin (which acquired WellCare in 2020), Humana, and CVS Health (based on PDP enrollment as of September 2020). All four firms offer PDPs in all 34 PDP regions in 2021.A Total of 996 Medicare Part D Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plans Will Be Offered in 2021, a 5% Increase From 2020 and a 34% Increase Since 2017 Figure 2. A Total of 996 Medicare Part D Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plans Will Be Offered in 2021, a 5% Increase From 2020 and a 34% Increase Since 2017​A total of 996 PDPs will be offered in the 34 PDP regions in 2021 (plus another 11 PDPs in the territories), an increase of 48 PDPs (5%) over 2020, and 250 more PDPs (a 34% increase) since 2017 (Figure 2). This increase is primarily buy ventolin due to the Trump Administration’s elimination of the “meaningful difference” requirement for enhanced benefit PDPs offered by the same organization in the same region.

Eliminating this requirement means that PDP sponsors no longer have to demonstrate that their enhanced PDPs offered in the same region are meaningfully different in terms of enrollee out-of-pocket costs. In 2021, 62% of PDPs (618 plans) will offer enhanced Part D benefits—a 60% increase in the availability of enhanced-benefit PDPs since 2017, when just over half of PDPs (387 plans) offered enhanced buy ventolin benefits.The number of PDPs per region in 2021 will range from 25 PDPs in Alaska to 35 PDPs in Texas and will be the same or higher in 32 of the 34 PDP regions compared to 2020 (see map, Table 1). Part D PremiumsThe Estimated Average Monthly Premium for Medicare PDPs Is Projected to Increase by 9% to $41 in 2021, Based on Current EnrollmentFigure 3. The Estimated Average Monthly Premium for Medicare PDPs Is Projected to Increase by 9% to $41 in 2021, Based on Current Enrollment​The estimated national average monthly buy ventolin PDP premium for 2021 is projected to increase by 9% to $41, from $38 in 2020, weighted by September 2020 enrollment (Figure 3). It is likely that the actual average weighted premium for 2021, after taking into account enrollment choices by new enrollees and plan changes by current enrollees, will be somewhat lower than the estimated average.

CMS reported that the average premium for basic Part D coverage offered by PDPs and MA-PDs will be buy ventolin an estimated $30 in 2021. Our premium estimate is higher because it is based on PDPs only (excluding MA-PDs) and includes PDPs offering both basic and enhanced coverage (enhanced plans, which account for 62% of all PDPs in 2021, have higher premiums than basic plans, on average).Average Monthly Premiums for the 21 National Part D Stand-alone PDPs Are Projected to Range from $7 to $89 in 2021, with Higher Average Premiums for Enhanced Benefits and Zero-Deductible PDPsFigure 4. Average Monthly Premiums for the 21 buy ventolin National Part D Stand-alone Drug Plans Are Projected to Range from $7 to $89 in 2021​PDP premiums will vary widely across plans in 2021, as in previous years (Figure 4, Table 2). Among the 21 PDPs available nationwide, average premiums will range from a low of $7 per month for SilverScript SmartRx to a high of $89 per month for AARP MedicareRx Preferred.Changes to premiums from 2020 to 2021, averaged across regions and weighted by 2020 enrollment, also vary widely across PDPs, as do the absolute amounts of monthly premiums for 2021.The 1.9 million non-LIS enrollees in the largest PDP, CVS Health’s SilverScript Choice (which had a total of 3.9 million enrollees in 2020, including those receiving low-income subsidies) will face a modest $1 (2%) decrease in their average monthly premium, from $29 in 2020 to $28 in 2021.In contrast, the 1.8 million non-LIS enrollees in the second largest PDP, AARP MedicareRx Preferred, will face a $10 (12%) increase in their average monthly premium between 2020 and 2021, from $79 to $89. This is buy ventolin the highest monthly premium among the national PDPs in 2021.The 1.3 million non-LIS enrollees in the fourth largest PDP, Humana Premier Rx, will see a $7 (13%) increase in their monthly premium, from $58 in 2020 to $65 in 2021.Most Part D stand-alone drug plans in 2021 (62% of PDPs) will offer enhanced benefits for a higher monthly premium.

Enhanced benefits can include a lower (or no) deductible, reduced cost sharing, or a higher initial coverage limit than under the standard benefit design. The average premium in 2021 for enhanced benefit PDPs is $51, which is 55% higher than the monthly premium for PDPs offering the basic benefit ($33) (weighted by September 2020 enrollment).In 2021, a large majority of PDPs (86%) will buy ventolin charge a deductible, with most PDPs (67%) charging the standard amount of $445 in 2021. Across all PDPs, the average deductible in 2021 will be $345 (weighted by September 2020 enrollment). The average monthly premium in 2021 for PDPs that charge no deductible is $88, nearly three times the monthly premium for PDPs that charge the standard deductible ($34) or a partial deductible ($31) (weighted by September 2020 enrollment).Nearly 8 in 10 Part buy ventolin D Stand-alone Drug Plan Enrollees Without Low-income Subsidies Will Pay Higher Premiums in 2021 If They Stay in Their Current PlanFigure 5. Nearly 8 in 10 Part D Stand-alone Drug Plan Enrollees Without Low-income Subsidies Will Pay Higher Premiums in 2021 If They Stay in Their Current Plan​Most (78%, or 10 million) of the 13.4 million Part D PDP enrollees who are responsible for paying the entire premium (which excludes Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) recipients) will see their monthly premium increase in 2021 if they stay in their same plan, while 2.8 million (21%) will see a premium reduction if they stay in their same plan (Figure 5).Nearly 2 million non-LIS enrollees (13%) will see a premium increase of $10 or more per month, while significantly fewer (0.2 million non-LIS enrollees, or 1%) will see a premium reduction of the same magnitude.

One-third (34%) of non-LIS enrollees (4.6 million) are projected to pay monthly premiums of at least $60 if they stay in their current plans, and more than 230,000 (2% of non-LIS enrollees) are projected to pay monthly premiums of at least $100.The Average Monthly Part D Premium in 2021 for the Subset of Enhanced Stand-alone Drug Plans Covering Insulin at a $35 Monthly Copay Is Substantially Higher Than Premiums for Other PDPsFigure 6. The Average Monthly Part D Premium in 2021 for the Subset of Enhanced Stand-alone Drug Plans Covering Insulin at a $35 Monthly Copay is Substantially Higher than Premiums for Other Plans​New for 2021, beneficiaries in each state will have the option to enroll in a Part D plan participating in the Trump Administration’s new Innovation Center buy ventolin model in which enhanced drug plans cover insulin products at a monthly copayment of $35 in the deductible, initial coverage, and coverage gap phases of the Part D benefit. Participating plans do not have to cover all insulin products at the $35 monthly copayment amount, just one of each dosage form (vial, pen) and insulin type (rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting).In 2021, a total of 1,635 enhanced Part D plans will participate in this model, which represents just over 30% of both PDPs (310 plans) and MA-PDs (1,325 plans) available in 2021, including plans in the territories. Between 8 buy ventolin and 10 enhanced PDPs in each region are participating in the model, in addition to multiple MA-PDs (see map). The average premium in 2021 for the subset of enhanced PDPs participating in the insulin $35 copay model ($59) is nearly twice as high as the monthly premium for basic PDPs ($33) and 61% higher than the average premium for enhanced PDPs that are not participating in the model ($37) (weighted by September 2020 enrollment).

Part D Cost SharingPart D Enrollees Will Pay Much Higher Cost-Sharing Amounts for Brands and Non-preferred Drugs Than For Drugs on a Generic Tier, and a Mix of Copays and Coinsurance for buy ventolin Different Formulary TiersFigure 7. In 2021, Part D Enrollees Will Pay Much Higher Cost-Sharing Amounts for Brands and Non-preferred Drugs than for Drugs on a Generic Tier, and a Mix of Copays and Coinsurance for Different Formulary Tiers​In 2021, as in prior years, Part D enrollees will face much higher cost-sharing amounts for brands and non-preferred drugs (which can include both brands and generics) than for drugs on a generic tier, and a mix of copayments and coinsurance for different formulary tiers (Figure 7). The typical five-tier formulary design in Part D includes tiers for preferred generics, buy ventolin generics, preferred brands, non-preferred drugs, and specialty drugs. Among all PDPs, median standard cost sharing in 2021 is $0 for preferred generics and $5 for generics (an increase from $4 in 2020), $40 for preferred brands (a decrease from $42 in 2020), 40% coinsurance for non-preferred drugs (an increase from 38% in 2020. The maximum allowed is 50%), and 25% coinsurance for specialty drugs (the same as in buy ventolin 2020.

The maximum allowed is 33%).Among the 21 national PDPs, 13 PDPs, covering 9.3 million enrollees as of September 2020, are increasing cost-sharing amounts for drugs on at least one formulary tier between 2020 and 2021 (Table 3). Five PDPs are increasing copayments for generics, with increases ranging from $1 buy ventolin to $4. Six PDPs are increasing copayments for preferred brands, with increases ranging from $3 to $10. And 10 PDPs are increasing buy ventolin coinsurance for non-preferred drugs, with increases ranging from 2 percentage points (e.g., from a 38% coinsurance rate to 40%) to 14 percentage points (e.g., from a 35% coinsurance rate to 49%).Low-Income Subsidy Plan AvailabilityIn 2021, 259 Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plans Will Be Premium-Free to Enrollees Receiving the Low-Income Subsidy (Benchmark Plans)Figure 8. In 2021, 259 Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plans Will Be Available Without a Premium to Enrollees Receiving the Low-Income Subsidy (“Benchmark” Plans)​In 2021, a larger number of PDPs will be premium-free benchmark plans—that is, PDPs available for no monthly premium to Medicare Part D enrollees receiving the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS)—than in recent years, with 259 premium-free benchmark plans, or roughly a quarter of all PDPs in 2021 (Figure 8).

Through the Part D LIS program, enrollees with low incomes and modest assets are eligible for assistance with Part D plan premiums and cost sharing. As of 2020, approximately 13 million Part D enrollees are receiving LIS, including 6.7 million (52%) in PDPs and 6.1 million (48%) in MA-PDs.On average (weighted by Medicare enrollment), LIS beneficiaries have eight buy ventolin benchmark plans available to them for 2021, or about one-fourth the average number of PDP choices available overall. All LIS enrollees can select any plan offered in their area, but if they enroll in a non-benchmark plan, they must pay some portion of their chosen plan’s monthly premium. In 2021, 10% of all LIS PDP enrollees who are eligible for premium-free Part D coverage (0.6 million LIS enrollees) will pay Part D premiums averaging $33 per month unless they switch or are reassigned by CMS to premium-free plans.The number of benchmark plans available in 2021 will vary by region, buy ventolin from five to 10 (see map). In 2020, 89% of the 6.6 million LIS PDP enrollees are projected to be in PDPs operated by five firms.

CVS Health, Centene, Humana, buy ventolin UnitedHealth, and Cigna (based on 2020 enrollment). DiscussionOur analysis of the Medicare Part D stand-alone drug plan landscape for 2021 shows that millions of Part D enrollees without low-income subsidies will face premium and other cost increases in 2021 if they stay in their current stand-alone drug plan. There are more plans available nationwide in 2021, with Medicare beneficiaries buy ventolin having 30 PDP choices during this year’s open enrollment period, plus 27 Medicare Advantage drug plan options. Most Part D PDP enrollees who remain in the same plan in 2021 will be in a plan with the standard $445 deductible and will face much higher cost sharing for brands than for generic drugs, including as much as 50% coinsurance for non-preferred drugs.Some Part D enrollees who choose to stay in their current plans may see lower premiums and other costs for their drug coverage, but nearly 8 in 10 non-LIS enrollees will face higher premiums if they remain in their current plan, and many will also face higher deductibles and cost sharing for covered drugs. Some beneficiaries might find buy ventolin the best coverage and costs for their specific medications in a plan with a relatively low premium, while for other beneficiaries, a higher-premium plan might be more suitable.

Because Part D plans vary in a number of ways that can have a significant effect on an enrollee’s out-of-pocket spending, beyond the monthly premium, all Part D enrollees could benefit from the opportunity to compare plans during open enrollment.Juliette Cubanski is with KFF.Anthony Damico is an independent consultant. This analysis focuses buy ventolin on the Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plan marketplace in 2021 and trends over time. The analysis includes 20.2 million enrollees in stand-alone PDPs, as of March 2020. The analysis excludes 17.4 million MA-PD enrollees (non-employer), and another 4.6 million enrollees in employer-group only PDPs and 2.3 million in employer-group only MA-PDs for whom plan premium and benefits data are unavailable.Data on Part D plan availability, enrollment, and buy ventolin premiums were collected from a set of data files released by the Centers for Medicare &. Medicaid Services (CMS):– Part D plan landscape files, released each fall prior to the annual enrollment period– Part D plan and premium files, released each fall– Part D plan crosswalk files, released each fall– Part D contract/plan/state/county level enrollment files, released on a monthly basis– Part D Low-Income Subsidy enrollment files, released each spring– Medicare plan benefit package files, released each fallIn this analysis, premium estimates are weighted by September 2020 enrollment unless otherwise noted.

Percentage increases are calculated based on non-rounded estimates and in some cases differ from percentage calculations calculated based on rounded estimates presented in the text..

Over the last decade, Medicare Advantage, the private plan alternative ventolin cost to traditional Medicare, has taken on a larger role in the Medicare program. In 2020, more than 24 million Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. This brief provides an overview of the Medicare Advantage plans that are available for 2021 and key ventolin cost trends over time.Plan Offerings in 2021Number of PlansNumber of Plans Available to Beneficiaries. For 2021, the average Medicare beneficiary has access to 33 Medicare Advantage plans, the largest number of options available in the last decade (Figure 1).Figure 1.

The average Medicare beneficiary has access to 33 Medicare ventolin cost Advantage plans in 2021, an increase from prior yearsAmong the 33 Medicare Advantage plans generally available for individual enrollment to the average Medicare beneficiary, 27 of the plans include prescription drug coverage (MA-PDs). These numbers exclude employer or union-sponsored group plans, Special Needs Plans (SNPs) and PACE plans, which are only available to select populations.Total Number of Plans. In total, 3,550 Medicare Advantage plans are available nationwide for individual enrollment in 2021 – a 13 percent increase (402 more plans) from 2020 and the largest number of plans ever available (Figure 2 ventolin cost. Appendix Table 1).

The vast majority (89 percent) of all Medicare Advantage plans offered include prescription drug coverage in ventolin cost 2021. .As in prior years, HMOs continue to account for about two-thirds (62%) of all plans offered in 2021. The availability of local PPOs has increased rapidly over recent ventolin cost years. In 2021, one-third of plans offered are local PPOs, compared to a quarter in 2018.

Between 2020 and ventolin cost 2021, the number of regional PPOs has remained constant, while the number of private fee-for-service plans has continued to decline.The growth in number of plans varies across states and counties, with the preponderance of the growth occurring in Florida and California (41 more and 30 more plans, respectively. Data not shown). Virginia has 6 fewer plans available for 2021 than in 2020, ventolin cost while South Carolina has 3 fewer plans, and Maryland and Nebraska each have one fewer plan available in 2021 than in 2020.While many employers and unions also offer Medicare Advantage plans to their retirees, no information about these 2021 plan offerings is made available by CMS to the public during the Medicare open enrollment period because these plans are not available to the general Medicare population.One notable change for 2021 is that people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are eligible to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans. Prior to this change, people with ESRD were not able to enroll in most Medicare Advantage plans, subject to limited exceptions, such as C-SNPS for people with ESRD.Special Needs Plans (SNPs).

More SNPs are available for 2021 than in any year since they were authorized, increasing from 855 plans in 2020 to 975 plans in 2021, a 14 percent increase (Figure 3). .The rise in SNPs for people who require an institutional-level of care (I-SNPs) has been particularly notable, more than doubling from 83 plans in 2017 to 174 plans ventolin cost in 2021. I-SNPs may be attractive to insurers because they tend to have much lower marketing costs than other plan types since they are often the only available option for people to receive their Medicare benefits in certain retirement communities and nursing homes. The number of SNPs for people dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (D-SNPs) has also increased sharply over the past five years, rising from 373 dual SNPs in 2017 to 598 dual SNPs in 2021, a 60% increase, suggesting insurers’ continue to be interested in managing the care of this high-need population.The number of SNPs offered ventolin cost for people with chronic conditions (C-SNPs) is also increasing in 2021, most of which focus on people with diabetes, heart disease, or lung conditions, as has been the case since the inception of C-SNPs.

For 2021, three firms are offering C-SNPs for people with dementia (the same as 2020), two firms are offering a C-SNP for people with mental health conditions (up one from 2020), three firms are offering C-SNPs for people with end-stage renal disease (one fewer than 2020) and two firms are offering C-SNPs for people with HIV/AIDS (similar to 2020).Variation in the Number of Plans, by Geographic Area. On average, beneficiaries in metropolitan areas can choose from about twice as many Medicare Advantage plans as beneficiaries in non-metropolitan areas (36 plans versus 20 plans, respectively).In 11 percent of counties (accounting for 41% of beneficiaries), beneficiaries can choose from more than 35 plans in 2021, including eleven counties in Ohio and five counties in Pennsylvania where more than 60 Medicare Advantage plans are available ventolin cost (Figure 4). In contrast, in 4 percent of counties (accounting for 1% of beneficiaries), beneficiaries can choose from two or fewer Medicare Advantage plans. The number of counties with no Medicare Advantage plans for 2021 ventolin cost is 82, similar to 2020.

As in prior years, there are no Medicare Advantage plans offered in Alaska. Additionally, no ventolin cost Medicare Advantage plans are available in territories other than Puerto Rico. .Access to Medicare Advantage Plans, by Plan TypeAs in recent years, virtually all Medicare beneficiaries (99%) have access to a Medicare Advantage plan as an alternative to traditional Medicare, including almost all beneficiaries in metropolitan areas (99.9%) and the vast majority of beneficiaries in non-metropolitan areas (97.7%). In non-metropolitan counties, a smaller share of beneficiaries have access to HMOs ventolin cost (87% in non-metropolitan versus 99% in metropolitan counties) or local PPOs (89% in non-metropolitan versus 96% in metropolitan counties), and a slightly larger share of beneficiaries have access to regional PPOs (77% in non-metropolitan counties versus 72% in metropolitan counties).

Number of FirmsThe average Medicare beneficiary is able to choose from plans offered by 8 firms in 2021, one more than in 2020 (Figure 5). Despite most beneficiaries having access to plans operated by several different firms, enrollment is concentrated in plans operated by UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and Blue Cross Blue ventolin cost Shield affiliates.Figure 5. More than one-quarter of beneficiaries can choose among Medicare Advantage plans offered by 10 or more firmsMore than one-quarter of beneficiaries (27%) are able to choose from plans offered by 10 or more firms. Fifteen or more firms are offering Medicare Advantage plans in three counties.

Orange County, California and ventolin cost Summit and Medina Counties in Ohio. In contrast, in 109 counties, most of which are rural counties with relatively few Medicare beneficiaries (1% of total), only one firm will offer Medicare Advantage plans in 2021. Over the past several years, the number of counties with a single firm offering Medicare Advantage plans has fallen ventolin cost substantially. As recently as 2019, there was a single firm offering plans in nearly 200 counties.UnitedHealthcare and Humana, the two firms with the most Medicare Advantage enrollees in 2020, have large footprints across the country, offering plans in most counties.

Humana is offering plans in 84 percent of counties and UnitedHealthcare is offering plans in 66 percent of counties in 2021 ventolin cost (Figure 6). More than 8 in 10 (87%) Medicare beneficiaries have access to at least one Humana plan and 86 percent have access to at least one UnitedHealthcare plans. .Most major Medicare Advantage firms have ventolin cost also expanded the number of counties where they are offering plans. UnitedHealthcare is offering plans in 2,117 counties in 2021, an increase of 245 from 2021, while Humana is offering plans in 2,703 counties in 2021, an increase of 33 from 2020.

Centene is offering plans in 1,129 counties ventolin cost in 2021, an increase of 261 plans from 2020. Blue Cross Blue Shield Affiliates are offering plans in 1,181 counties, an increase of 152 plans. CVS Health is offering plans in 1,759 ventolin cost counties, an increase of 119 plans. And Cigna is offering plans in 369 counties, an increase of 67 plans.

Kaiser Permanente had the smallest growth and is offering plans in 109 counties, an ventolin cost increase of 4 plans.New Market Entrants and ExitsMedicare Advantage continues to be an attractive market for insurers, with 14 firms entering the market for the first time in 2021, collectively accounting for about 6 percent of the growth in the number of plans available for general enrollment and about 10 percent of the growth in SNPs (Appendix Table 2). Nine new entrants are offering HMOs available for individual enrollment. Five of the new entrants are offering ventolin cost SNPs. Three firms are offering D-SNPs for people dually eligible for Medicaid, three firms are offering C-SNPs for people with select chronic conditions, and one firm is offering an I-SNPs Four of the new firm entrants are offering plans in California, two are offering plans in Indiana, and the remainder are offering plans in at least one of ten other states (Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin).Six firms that previously participated in the Medicare Advantage market are not offering plans in 2021.

Two of the firms (ApexHealth, Inc. And Clarion Health) offered plans for the first time in 2020, but did not appear to ventolin cost enroll any participants. The other four firms had very low enrollment in 2020. Three of the six exiting firms offered plans in New York.PremiumsThe vast majority of Medicare Advantage plans for individual enrollment (89%) will include prescription drug coverage (MA-PDs), and 54 percent of these plans will charge no premium, other ventolin cost than the Part B premium, similar to 2020.

More than nine out of ten beneficiaries (96%) have access to a MA-PD with no monthly premium in 2021. However, in Wyoming, beneficiaries do not have access to a zero-premium MA-PD, and in Idaho, less than half of beneficiaries have access to a zero-premium MA-PD.In 2020, 60 percent of enrollees in MA-PD plans pay no premium other than the Medicare Part B premium of $144.60 per ventolin cost month. Based on enrollment in March 2020, nearly one in five enrollees (18%) pay at least $50 a month, and 6 percent pay $100 or more. CMS announced that the average monthly plan premium among all Medicare Advantage enrollees in 2021, including those who pay no premium for their Medicare Advantage plan, is expected to decrease 11 percent from 2020 to $21 a month ventolin cost.

CMS does not disclose the methods or assumptions used in deriving their calculations, but since most Medicare Advantage enrollees pay no additional premium, the average they report is heavily influenced by zero-premium plans, and does not reflect the average premium paid by those who are in plans with an additional premium.Extra BenefitsMedicare Advantage plans may provide extra benefits that are not available in traditional Medicare, are considered “primarily health related,” and can use rebate dollars (including bonus payments) to help cover the cost of these extra benefits. Beginning in 2019, CMS expanded the definition of “primarily health related” to allow Medicare Advantage plans to ventolin cost offer additional supplemental benefits. Medicare Advantage plans may also restrict the availability of these extra benefits to certain subgroups of beneficiaries, such as those with diabetes or congestive heart failure, making different benefits available to different enrollees.Beginning in 2020, Medicare Advantage plans have also been able to offer extra benefits that are not primarily health related for chronically ill beneficiaries, known as Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI). Information on the availability of SSBCI for 2021 has not yet been published by CMS, but may include services such as ventolin cost pest control, food and produce (beyond a limited basis), and non-medical transportation.

Since plans are permitted to offer these benefits non-uniformly to enrollees, it will be important to examine how these benefits are distributed across subgroups of enrollees.Availability of Extra Benefits in Plans for General Enrollment. Historically, the most offered extra benefits were fitness, dental, vision, and ventolin cost hearing. Nearly two-thirds of plans (68%) provide all four of these benefits for 2021. Though these benefits are widely available, the scope of specific services varies.

For example, a dental benefit may include cleanings only or ventolin cost more comprehensive coverage. As of 2020, Medicare Advantage plans have also been allowed to offer more telehealth benefits than traditional Medicare (though Medicare has temporarily expanded these benefits during the ventolin). The vast majority (98%) of Medicare Advantage plans are offering telehealth in 2021 (up from 91% in ventolin cost 2020) (Figure 7).Figure 7. Most Medicare Advantage plans provide fitness and dental benefits but much fewer provide in-home or caregiver supportOther extra benefits that are frequently offered for 2021 include over the counter items (75%), meal benefits, such as a cooking class, nutrition education, or meal delivery (55%), and transportation benefits (36%).Less than 10 percent of plans provide bathroom safety devices (6%) or in-home support (6%).Availability of Extra Benefits in Special Needs Plans.

SNPs are designed to serve a disproportionately high-need population, and a somewhat ventolin cost larger percentage of SNPs than plans for other Medicare beneficiaries provide their enrollees with over the counter items (91%), transportation benefits (85%) and meal benefits (63%). Similar to plans available for general enrollment, a relatively small share of SNPs provide bathroom safety devices (11%) or in-home support (18%).Access to Extra Benefits. Virtually all Medicare beneficiaries live in a county where at least one Medicare Advantage plan available for general enrollment has some extra benefits not covered by traditional Medicare, ventolin cost with 98% having access to some dental, fitness, vision, and hearing benefits for 2021. The vast majority of beneficiaries also have access to telehealth benefits (99%), over the counter items (99%), transportation assistance (95%) and a meal benefit (98%), but far fewer have access to bathroom safety (55%) or in-home support (62%).DiscussionMore Medicare Advantage plans are being offered for 2021 than in any other year.

Fourteen insurers are entering the Medicare Advantage market for the first time, and six insurers are exiting the market, suggesting thatMedicare Advantage remains an attractive, profitable market for insurers ventolin cost. As in prior years, some (mostly non-metropolitan) counties are less attractive to insurers, with fewer firms and plans available, though the number of areas where this is the case has declined over time. Overall, more than 99 ventolin cost percent of beneficiaries will have access to one or more Medicare Advantage plans in 2021, similar to prior years. With more firms offering SNPs and the number of SNPs rapidly growing, there may be greater focus on how well high-need, vulnerable beneficiaries are being served by Medicare Advantage plans, including SNPs as well as plans for general enrollment.

As Medicare ventolin cost Advantage enrollment continues to grow, insurers seem to be responding by offering more plans and choices to the people on Medicare. This analysis focuses on the Medicare Advantage marketplace in 2021 and trends over time. The analysis includes more than 24 million enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans in 2020.Data on Medicare Advantage plan availability, enrollment, and premiums were collected from a set of data files released by the Centers for Medicare &. Medicaid Services (CMS):Medicare Advantage plan landscape files, released each fall prior to the annual enrollment periodMedicare Advantage plan and premium files, released each fallMedicare Advantage plan crosswalk files, released each fallMedicare Advantage contract/plan/state/county level enrollment files, released on a monthly basisMedicare Advantage plan benefit package files, released each fallMedicare Enrollment Dashboard files, released on ventolin cost a monthly basisIn previous years, KFF has used the Medicare Advantage Penetration Files to calculate the number of Medicare beneficiaries eligible for Medicare.

The Medicare Advantage Penetration Files includes people who were previously, but no longer covered by Medicare (e.g., people who obtained employer-sponsored health insurance coverage after initially enrolling in Medicare). It also includes people within 5 months of their ventolin cost 65th birthday, but not yet age 65. In addition, CMS has identified an issue where beneficiaries with multiple addresses were double counted in the Penetration File. KFF has refined its approach this year and is using the Medicare Enrollment Dashboard to calculate the number of Medicare beneficiaries because it only includes Medicare beneficiaries with either Part A or Part B coverage, which is a more accurate estimate of ventolin cost the Medicare population.

The numbers published here supersede all prior estimates by KFF of the number of Medicare beneficiaries.Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Meredith Freed, and Tricia Neuman are with KFF.Anthony Damico is an independent consultant.During the Medicare open enrollment period from October 15 to December 7 each year, beneficiaries can enroll in a plan that provides Part D drug coverage, either a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) as a supplement to traditional Medicare, or a Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan (MA-PD), which covers all Medicare benefits, including drugs. Among the 46 million Part D enrollees in 2020, 20.2 million (44%) are in PDPs and 19.3 million (41%) are ventolin cost in MA-PDs (excluding the 7.0 million (15%) in employer-only group PDPs and MA-PDs). This issue brief provides an overview of Medicare Part D drug plans that will be available in 2021 and key trends over time.Part D Plan AvailabilityThe Average Medicare Beneficiary Has a Choice of Nearly 60 Medicare Plans with Part D Drug Coverage in 2021, Including 30 Medicare Stand-alone Drug Plans and 27 Medicare Advantage Drug PlansFigure 1. The Average Medicare Beneficiary Has a Choice of Nearly 60 ventolin cost Medicare Plans Offering Drug Coverage in 2021, Including 30 Stand-alone Drug Plans and 27 Medicare Advantage Drug PlansA larger number of Part D plans will be offered in 2021 than in recent years.

The average Medicare beneficiary will have a choice of 30 stand-alone PDPs in 2021, two more PDP options than in 2020, and eight more than in 2017, a 36% increase (Figure 1). Although the number of PDP options in 2021 is half of what it was at the peak in 2007 (when there were 56 PDP options, on average), this is the fourth year in a row with an increase in the average number of stand-alone drug plan options.In 2021, beneficiaries will also have access to 27 MA-PDs, on average, a 71% increase in MA-PD options since 2017 (excluding Medicare Advantage plans ventolin cost that do not offer the drug benefit and plans not available to all beneficiaries. Overall, an average of 33 Medicare Advantage plan options will be available in 2021).Based on September 2020 enrollment, 8 out of 10 PDP enrollees (80%) in 2021 are projected to be in PDPs operated by just four firms. UnitedHealth, Centene (which acquired WellCare in 2020), Humana, and CVS ventolin cost Health (based on PDP enrollment as of September 2020).

All four firms offer PDPs in all 34 PDP regions in 2021.A Total of 996 Medicare Part D Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plans Will Be Offered in 2021, a 5% Increase From 2020 and a 34% Increase Since 2017 Figure 2. A Total of 996 Medicare Part D Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plans Will Be Offered in 2021, a 5% Increase From 2020 and a 34% Increase Since 2017​A total of 996 PDPs will be offered in the 34 PDP regions in 2021 (plus another 11 PDPs in the territories), an increase of 48 PDPs (5%) over 2020, and 250 more PDPs (a 34% increase) since 2017 (Figure 2). This increase is primarily due to the Trump Administration’s elimination of the “meaningful difference” requirement for enhanced benefit PDPs offered by the same ventolin cost organization in the same region. Eliminating this requirement means that PDP sponsors no longer have to demonstrate that their enhanced PDPs offered in the same region are meaningfully different in terms of enrollee out-of-pocket costs.

In 2021, 62% of PDPs (618 plans) will offer enhanced Part D benefits—a 60% ventolin cost increase in the availability of enhanced-benefit PDPs since 2017, when just over half of PDPs (387 plans) offered enhanced benefits.The number of PDPs per region in 2021 will range from 25 PDPs in Alaska to 35 PDPs in Texas and will be the same or higher in 32 of the 34 PDP regions compared to 2020 (see map, Table 1). Part D PremiumsThe Estimated Average Monthly Premium for Medicare PDPs Is Projected to Increase by 9% to $41 in 2021, Based on Current EnrollmentFigure 3. The Estimated Average Monthly Premium for Medicare PDPs Is Projected to Increase by 9% to $41 in 2021, Based on Current Enrollment​The estimated national average ventolin cost monthly PDP premium for 2021 is projected to increase by 9% to $41, from $38 in 2020, weighted by September 2020 enrollment (Figure 3). It is likely that the actual average weighted premium for 2021, after taking into account enrollment choices by new enrollees and plan changes by current enrollees, will be somewhat lower than the estimated average.

CMS reported that the average premium ventolin cost for basic Part D coverage offered by PDPs and MA-PDs will be an estimated $30 in 2021. Our premium estimate is higher because it is based on PDPs only (excluding MA-PDs) and includes PDPs offering both basic and enhanced coverage (enhanced plans, which account for 62% of all PDPs in 2021, have higher premiums than basic plans, on average).Average Monthly Premiums for the 21 National Part D Stand-alone PDPs Are Projected to Range from $7 to $89 in 2021, with Higher Average Premiums for Enhanced Benefits and Zero-Deductible PDPsFigure 4. Average Monthly Premiums for the 21 National Part D Stand-alone Drug Plans Are Projected to Range from $7 to $89 in 2021​PDP premiums ventolin cost will vary widely across plans in 2021, as in previous years (Figure 4, Table 2). Among the 21 PDPs available nationwide, average premiums will range from a low of $7 per month for SilverScript SmartRx to a high of $89 per month for AARP MedicareRx Preferred.Changes to premiums from 2020 to 2021, averaged across regions and weighted by 2020 enrollment, also vary widely across PDPs, as do the absolute amounts of monthly premiums for 2021.The 1.9 million non-LIS enrollees in the largest PDP, CVS Health’s SilverScript Choice (which had a total of 3.9 million enrollees in 2020, including those receiving low-income subsidies) will face a modest $1 (2%) decrease in their average monthly premium, from $29 in 2020 to $28 in 2021.In contrast, the 1.8 million non-LIS enrollees in the second largest PDP, AARP MedicareRx Preferred, will face a $10 (12%) increase in their average monthly premium between 2020 and 2021, from $79 to $89.

This is the highest monthly premium among the national PDPs in 2021.The 1.3 million non-LIS enrollees in the fourth largest PDP, Humana Premier Rx, will see a $7 (13%) increase in their monthly premium, from $58 in 2020 to $65 in 2021.Most Part D stand-alone drug ventolin cost plans in 2021 (62% of PDPs) will offer enhanced benefits for a higher monthly premium. Enhanced benefits can include a lower (or no) deductible, reduced cost sharing, or a higher initial coverage limit than under the standard benefit design. The average premium in 2021 for enhanced benefit PDPs is $51, which is 55% higher than the monthly premium for PDPs offering the basic benefit ($33) ventolin cost (weighted by September 2020 enrollment).In 2021, a large majority of PDPs (86%) will charge a deductible, with most PDPs (67%) charging the standard amount of $445 in 2021. Across all PDPs, the average deductible in 2021 will be $345 (weighted by September 2020 enrollment).

The average monthly premium in 2021 ventolin cost for PDPs that charge no deductible is $88, nearly three times the monthly premium for PDPs that charge the standard deductible ($34) or a partial deductible ($31) (weighted by September 2020 enrollment).Nearly 8 in 10 Part D Stand-alone Drug Plan Enrollees Without Low-income Subsidies Will Pay Higher Premiums in 2021 If They Stay in Their Current PlanFigure 5. Nearly 8 in 10 Part D Stand-alone Drug Plan Enrollees Without Low-income Subsidies Will Pay Higher Premiums in 2021 If They Stay in Their Current Plan​Most (78%, or 10 million) of the 13.4 million Part D PDP enrollees who are responsible for paying the entire premium (which excludes Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) recipients) will see their monthly premium increase in 2021 if they stay in their same plan, while 2.8 million (21%) will see a premium reduction if they stay in their same plan (Figure 5).Nearly 2 million non-LIS enrollees (13%) will see a premium increase of $10 or more per month, while significantly fewer (0.2 million non-LIS enrollees, or 1%) will see a premium reduction of the same magnitude. One-third (34%) of non-LIS enrollees (4.6 million) are projected to pay monthly premiums of at least $60 if they stay in their current plans, and more than 230,000 (2% of non-LIS enrollees) are projected to pay monthly premiums of at least $100.The Average Monthly Part D Premium in 2021 for the Subset of Enhanced Stand-alone Drug Plans Covering Insulin at a $35 Monthly Copay Is Substantially Higher Than Premiums for Other PDPsFigure 6. The Average Monthly Part D Premium in 2021 for the Subset of Enhanced Stand-alone Drug Plans Covering Insulin at a $35 Monthly Copay is Substantially Higher than Premiums for Other Plans​New for 2021, beneficiaries in each state will have the option to enroll in a Part D plan participating in the Trump Administration’s new Innovation Center model in which enhanced drug plans cover insulin products at a monthly copayment of $35 in the deductible, initial coverage, and coverage gap phases of ventolin cost the Part D benefit.

Participating plans do not have to cover all insulin products at the $35 monthly copayment amount, just one of each dosage form (vial, pen) and insulin type (rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, and long-acting).In 2021, a total of 1,635 enhanced Part D plans will participate in this model, which represents just over 30% of both PDPs (310 plans) and MA-PDs (1,325 plans) available in 2021, including plans in the territories. Between 8 and 10 enhanced PDPs in each ventolin cost region are participating in the model, in addition to multiple MA-PDs (see map). The average premium in 2021 for the subset of enhanced PDPs participating in the insulin $35 copay model ($59) is nearly twice as high as the monthly premium for basic PDPs ($33) and 61% higher than the average premium for enhanced PDPs that are not participating in the model ($37) (weighted by September 2020 enrollment). Part D Cost SharingPart D Enrollees Will Pay Much Higher Cost-Sharing Amounts for Brands and Non-preferred Drugs Than For Drugs on a Generic Tier, and a Mix of Copays and Coinsurance for Different ventolin cost Formulary TiersFigure 7.

In 2021, Part D Enrollees Will Pay Much Higher Cost-Sharing Amounts for Brands and Non-preferred Drugs than for Drugs on a Generic Tier, and a Mix of Copays and Coinsurance for Different Formulary Tiers​In 2021, as in prior years, Part D enrollees will face much higher cost-sharing amounts for brands and non-preferred drugs (which can include both brands and generics) than for drugs on a generic tier, and a mix of copayments and coinsurance for different formulary tiers (Figure 7). The typical five-tier formulary design in Part D includes tiers for preferred generics, generics, preferred brands, ventolin cost non-preferred drugs, and specialty drugs. Among all PDPs, median standard cost sharing in 2021 is $0 for preferred generics and $5 for generics (an increase from $4 in 2020), $40 for preferred brands (a decrease from $42 in 2020), 40% coinsurance for non-preferred drugs (an increase from 38% in 2020. The maximum allowed is 50%), and ventolin cost 25% coinsurance for specialty drugs (the same as in 2020.

The maximum allowed is 33%).Among the 21 national PDPs, 13 PDPs, covering 9.3 million enrollees as of September 2020, are increasing cost-sharing amounts for drugs on at least one formulary tier between 2020 and 2021 (Table 3). Five PDPs are increasing copayments for generics, with increases ranging from $1 to ventolin cost $4. Six PDPs are increasing copayments for preferred brands, with increases ranging from $3 to $10. And 10 PDPs are increasing coinsurance for non-preferred drugs, with increases ranging from 2 percentage points (e.g., from a 38% coinsurance rate to 40%) to 14 percentage points (e.g., from a ventolin cost 35% coinsurance rate to 49%).Low-Income Subsidy Plan AvailabilityIn 2021, 259 Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plans Will Be Premium-Free to Enrollees Receiving the Low-Income Subsidy (Benchmark Plans)Figure 8.

In 2021, 259 Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plans Will Be Available Without a Premium to Enrollees Receiving the Low-Income Subsidy (“Benchmark” Plans)​In 2021, a larger number of PDPs will be premium-free benchmark plans—that is, PDPs available for no monthly premium to Medicare Part D enrollees receiving the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS)—than in recent years, with 259 premium-free benchmark plans, or roughly a quarter of all PDPs in 2021 (Figure 8). Through the Part D LIS program, enrollees with low incomes and modest assets are eligible for assistance with Part D plan premiums and cost sharing. As of 2020, approximately 13 million Part D enrollees are receiving LIS, including 6.7 million (52%) in PDPs and 6.1 million (48%) in MA-PDs.On average (weighted by Medicare enrollment), LIS beneficiaries have eight benchmark plans available to them for 2021, or about one-fourth the average number of PDP choices ventolin cost available overall. All LIS enrollees can select any plan offered in their area, but if they enroll in a non-benchmark plan, they must pay some portion of their chosen plan’s monthly premium.

In 2021, 10% of all LIS PDP enrollees who are eligible for premium-free Part D coverage (0.6 million LIS enrollees) will pay Part D premiums averaging $33 per month unless they switch or are reassigned by CMS to premium-free plans.The number of benchmark plans ventolin cost available in 2021 will vary by region, from five to 10 (see map). In 2020, 89% of the 6.6 million LIS PDP enrollees are projected to be in PDPs operated by five firms. CVS Health, Centene, ventolin cost Humana, UnitedHealth, and Cigna (based on 2020 enrollment). DiscussionOur analysis of the Medicare Part D stand-alone drug plan landscape for 2021 shows that millions of Part D enrollees without low-income subsidies will face premium and other cost increases in 2021 if they stay in their current stand-alone drug plan.

There are more plans available nationwide in 2021, with Medicare beneficiaries having 30 PDP choices during this year’s open enrollment period, ventolin cost plus 27 Medicare Advantage drug plan options. Most Part D PDP enrollees who remain in the same plan in 2021 will be in a plan with the standard $445 deductible and will face much higher cost sharing for brands than for generic drugs, including as much as 50% coinsurance for non-preferred drugs.Some Part D enrollees who choose to stay in their current plans may see lower premiums and other costs for their drug coverage, but nearly 8 in 10 non-LIS enrollees will face higher premiums if they remain in their current plan, and many will also face higher deductibles and cost sharing for covered drugs. Some beneficiaries might ventolin cost find the best coverage and costs for their specific medications in a plan with a relatively low premium, while for other beneficiaries, a higher-premium plan might be more suitable. Because Part D plans vary in a number of ways that can have a significant effect on an enrollee’s out-of-pocket spending, beyond the monthly premium, all Part D enrollees could benefit from the opportunity to compare plans during open enrollment.Juliette Cubanski is with KFF.Anthony Damico is an independent consultant.

This analysis focuses on the Medicare Part D stand-alone prescription drug plan marketplace in 2021 and trends ventolin cost over time. The analysis includes 20.2 million enrollees in stand-alone PDPs, as of March 2020. The analysis excludes 17.4 million MA-PD enrollees (non-employer), and another 4.6 million enrollees in employer-group only PDPs and 2.3 million in employer-group only MA-PDs for whom plan premium and benefits data are unavailable.Data on Part D plan availability, enrollment, and ventolin cost premiums were collected from a set of data files released by the Centers for Medicare &. Medicaid Services (CMS):– Part D plan landscape files, released each fall prior to the annual enrollment period– Part D plan and premium files, released each fall– Part D plan crosswalk files, released each fall– Part D contract/plan/state/county level enrollment files, released on a monthly basis– Part D Low-Income Subsidy enrollment files, released each spring– Medicare plan benefit package files, released each fallIn this analysis, premium estimates are weighted by September 2020 enrollment unless otherwise noted.

Percentage increases are calculated based on non-rounded estimates and in some cases differ from percentage calculations calculated based on rounded estimates presented in the text..