Medicare
Our health care system is undergoing a profound transformation—with innovative payment and service delivery models—to increase accountability for quality and costs of care and advance equity.
Medicare provides health insurance and financial protection to over 63 million individuals—including individuals 65 years and older and those under 65 with disabilities or special conditions. As of 2020, over 54 million beneficiaries are ages 65 and older. By 2050, this number is projected to increase by 50%.
Medicare is a significant driver of national health spending. It is the second-largest program in the federal budget (after Social Security), accounting for 12% of total federal spending in 2020. By 2050, its share of federal spending is projected to exceed 20% (under current rules).
The Medicare program faces enormous financial pressures with rising health care costs and a rapidly aging population. The ever-growing concerns about the fiscal viability of the program, coupled with pervasive quality gaps and health inequities, give impetus to transform the way health care is delivered, paid for, and consumed.
Our health care system is undergoing a profound transformation with innovative payment and service delivery models to increase accountability for quality and costs of care and advance equity. Thus, it is critical to generate rigorous, objective evidence to guide policy and program reforms and practice.
We support our clients in this journey of care transformation by helping them design, implement, and evaluate complex interventions to improve quality, reduce costs, and enhance beneficiaries’ experience with care.
