PND (7/25/2000) -- Commonwealth Fund Reports on Attitudes Toward Medicare

Americans ages 50 to 70 — those nearing the age of Medicare eligibility and those who recently enrolled in the program — place high value on the federal healthcare program, finds a new study from the New York City-based Commonwealth Fund.

The study, "Counting on Medicare: Perspectives and Concerns of Americans Ages 50 to 70," reports that Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 to 70 are more likely than adults ages 50 to 64 (who are generally not yet eligible for the program) to be very confident in their ability to obtain quality medical care when needed and to be satisfied with the quality of that care.

While participants in the study value the services provided by Medicare, many are struggling to pay for prescription drugs, which Medicare doesn't cover. Medicare's benefit package was designed when the program was established in 1965 and hasn't changed significantly since then, despite the fact that drugs play an increasingly important role in modern medicine.

"Americans in this age group who are or will be covered by Medicare in the next 15 years generally trust in Medicare to provide excellent health care services," said Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund and a coauthor of the report. "But many of these people fear for their financial security if they have to set aside so much personal income to pay for drugs needed to maintain good health."

The full report can be downloaded at no charge from the Commonwealth Fund's Web site: http://www.cmwf.org/

"Americans Value Medicare: Two-Thirds of Those Ages 50 to 64 Support Early Buy-In; Lack of Prescription Drug Benefit a Major Concern." Commonwealth Fund News Release 7/21/2000.

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