Focuses on implementation in six communities: Albuquerque, Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans, Orlando, and Orange County, CA. Examines (1) what choices actually exist; (2) how well beneficiaries understand their choices; (3) what information beneficiaries want and need to make choices; (4) how...

Notes that 14 percent of Medicare beneficiaries had no source of supplemental coverage to pay costs not covered by Medicare. Medicare HMOs are an important source of coverage, especially for those who do not receive supplemental coverage under an employer group. Although HMOs in New Orleans seem...

Discusses the diverse capacities and vulnerabilities of different groups of Medicare beneficiaries and how well current information strategies address their needs. Notes that policymakers should be aware of this diversity and the need for transitional and targeted education strategies to reach...

Notes that 11 percent had no source of supplemental coverage. Twenty-nine percent have coverage through an HMO but no other form of subsidized coverage.

Provides a statistical profile of Medicare's disabled population, highlighting socioeconomic and health and functional characteristics that policymakers need to consider to better meet this group's needs.

Notes that 46 percent of local Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in an HMO in 2000, one of the highest penetration rates in the country. Also notes that only 8 percent of beneficiaries in Albuquerque--versus 17 percent nationally--had no supplemental coverage to pay for costs not covered by...

Explores the state of Medicare+Choice in six communities as of December 2000, noting that choice has declined in all, and accurate information about alternatives is not widely available. Beneficiaries are confused about their choices and worried about the commitment of plans and doctors to...

Reports that insurance coverage is heavily influenced by the big three automakers and their suppliers. Half of all Medicare beneficiaries got supplemental insurance through an employer, which is substantially higher than the comparable figure nationwide, although 13 percent have no supplemental...

Although Medicare beneficiaries in Orange County are more affluent than in the nation overall, this profile notes substantial diversity within the county as well as pockets of particularly vulnerable beneficiaries. For example, 12 percent have incomes of $10,000 or less per year, 30 percent have...