Press Releases - CMS
- 2013-05-31
- Trustees Report shows reduced cost growth, longer Medicare solvency
- Friday, May 31, 2013
- press@cms.hhs.gov
Trustees Report shows reduced cost growth, longer Medicare solvency
The Medicare Trustees today projected that the trust fund that finances
Medicarefs hospital insurance coverage will remain solvent until 2026, two years
beyond what was projected in last yearfs report.
gThe Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund is projected to be solvent for
longer, which is good news for beneficiaries,h said Marilyn Tavenner,
Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). gThanks
to the Affordable Care Act, we are taking important steps to improve the
delivery of care for seniors with Medicare. These reforms aim to reduce spending
while improving the quality of care, and are an important down payment on
solving Medicarefs long term financial issues.h
A number of factors have contributed to the improved outlook, including
lower-than-expected Part A spending in 2012, and lower projected Medicare
Advantage program costs. Recent data from the Medicare Advantage program
indicate that certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act will help reduce the
growth of spending in this program by more than was previously projected.
Partially offsetting these lower spending projections are somewhat lower
projected levels of tax revenue.
Medicare spending per beneficiary has grown quite slowly over the past few
years and is projected to continue growing slowly over the next several years.
From 2010 to 2012, Medicare spending per beneficiary grew at 1.7 percent
annually, more slowly than the average rate of growth in the Consumer Price
Index, and substantially more slowly than the per capita rate of growth in the
economy. Thanks in part to the cost controls implemented in the Affordable
Care Act, spending is projected to continue to grow slower than the overall
economy for the next several years.
The benefits of this slower growth accrue to both tax payers and
beneficiaries. For example, although the Part B premium for 2014 will not be
determined until later this year, the preliminary estimate in the Report
indicates that it will remain unchanged from the 2013 premium.
Background:
In 2012, Medicare covered 50.7 million people: 42.1 million people aged 65
and older, and 8.5 million people with disabilities. About 27 percent of these
beneficiaries have chosen to enroll in Part C private health plans that contract
with Medicare to deliver Part A and Part B health services. Total expenditures
in 2012 were $574.2 billion. Total income was $536.9 billion.
The Medicare Trustees are Treasury Secretary and Managing Trustee Jacob Lew,
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Acting Labor Secretary
Seth Harris, and Acting Social Security Commissioner Carolyn Colvin. Two other
members are public representatives who are appointed by the President, subject
to confirmation by the Senate. Charles Blahous III and Robert Reischauer began
serving on Sept. 17, 2010. CMS Administrator Tavenner, is designated
as Secretary of the Board.
The report will be available at noon, EST, at www.cms.gov.