http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/strategicplanning/index.php

Finds that Medicare paid $75 million for 1.2 million drugs for patients in skilled nursing facilities in 2006, and that $41 million of the payments were inappropriate. From the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.

http://nihseniorhealth.gov/medicare/toc.html

Online pamphlet of information for people providing care for someone on Medicare. Includes sections on prescription drug coverage, continuing care options, and frequently asked questions. From the National Institutes of Health.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ReportsTrustFunds/downloads/tr2009.pdf

Reports that Medicare, weakened by the current economic recession, will run out of funds for paying the hospital coverage or Part A portion of the insurance program by 2017. Also reports that Parts B and D for physician services and prescription drugs are adequately financed over the next 10 years and beyond because premiums are reset each year to meet expected costs. From the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Fact_Sheet-Health_Reform_Stakeholders_5-11-09.pdf

Lays out five step approach for reducing the cost of health care including reducing hospital readmission rates, medicare overpayments, and drug prices. From the White House.

http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10093/04-20-Harvard.pdf

Slide presentation on federal budget projections, debt level, revenues and outlays, effective federal tax rates over time, projected spending on Medicare and Medicaid, and key elements of the buget proposed by President Obama. From the Congressional Budget Office.

http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st240/stat240.pdf

Reports that between 2005 and 2006 the proportion of the Medicare population that had at least one prescription drug purchase more than tripled from 21% to 68%. Medicare expenditures for prescription drugs rose from $5.9 billion in 2005 to $44.3 billion in 2006. From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/supplement/2008/

The major annual statistical compilation on U.S. social insurance and welfare programs. Covers the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs of the Social Security Administration plus major health care programs--Medicare and Medicaid--and social insurance programs such as workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, temporary disability insurance, Black Lung benefits, and veterans' benefits. From the Social Security Administration.

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40425_20090310.pdf

Covers history of the program, eligibility and enrollment, benefits and payments for Parts A-D, financing and current Medicare policy issues before Congress. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by OpenCRS.org.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/downloads/proj2008.pdf

Projects average annual national health expenditures growth to be 6.2% per year for 2008 through 2018. Average annual economic growth is projected to be 4.1% per year. Also presents statistical tables on expected annual health expenditures amounts and percentage change by detailed types of expenditures. 15 statistical tables in all. From the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL32950_20090202.pdf

Explains how the federal medical assistance percentage has been calculated per state in the past and explores current proposals for change in the various economic stimulus proposals. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by OpenCRS.org.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalSCHIPPolicy/downloads/FY2008StateTotalTable012309FINAL.pdf

Provides statistics on the number of children covered with health insurance under the State Childrens Health Insurance Program by state. From the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.