Health Care Reform and Older Americans

Richard L. Kaplan (Peer and Sarah Pedersen Professor of Law, University of Illinois College of Law) recently published his article entitled Analyzing the Impact of the New Health Care Reform Legislation on Older Americans, 18 Elder L. J. No. 213 (2011). The abstract available on SSRN is below:

This Article analyzes the impact on older Americans of the major changes enacted in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It begins with Medicare’s treatment of prescription medications, explaining the origin of the coverage gap known colloquially as the “doughnut hole” and then examining how this gap will be filled over the coming decade. It also considers changes affecting employer-provided drug plans for retirees and the new income-based surcharges on higher-income enrollees.

The Article next analyzes long-term care, addressing first the new voluntary entitlement program known as Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) and then the newly mandated disclosures regarding nursing homes. It then considers the expansion of Medicare’s preventative services and the changes to Medicare’s managed care program. Finally, the Article addresses early retirees who are not yet age-eligible for Medicare.