Out-of-Pocket Expenditures
Purchaser:
Federal Government
Program:
Medicare
Description: Medicare, administered by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s largest health insurance program. Medicare primarily funds acute-care (hospital and physician services) for retirees and people with disabilities, their dependents and survivors. Medicare Part A pays for inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care for several months following hospitalization, home health and hospice. Part B pays for doctor’s services and some other outpatient services, such as laboratory and other diagnostic tests.
The federal government spent almost $12.6 billion in Texas under the Medicare program in fiscal 1998.
National Expenditures:
1987–$82 billion
1993–$149 billion
1997–$215 billion
1998–$220 billionTexas Expenditures: 1998–$12,594,286,475 Includes Medicare Part A and Part B spending in Texas counties in fiscal 1998 according to the HCFA. Comparable data is not available for other years.
Type of Funding:
Federal-Medicare
National Enrollment: 1987–32.4 million
1993–36.3 million
1997–38.4 million
1998–38.8 millionTexas Enrollment:
1987–1.7 million
1993–2.0 million
1997–2.2 million
1998–2.2 millionSource: U.S. Health Care Financing Administration