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Expert panelists at HJ26 referred to Medicare as complicated, complex and difficult, offering Medicare reporting resources and story recommendations reporters could write to bring clarity and help beneficiaries better understand the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older and those with certain disabilities.
Why Medicare Reporting Resources Start With SHIPs
“It’s an incredible array of plan options that people need to look at and make sure their providers participate, their drugs are covered and they are going to be able to afford the plan,” said Kelli Jo Greiner, director of Minnesota’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program, a grant-funded program that helps people navigate Medicare and related health care issues.
What Beneficiaries Actually Ask SHIPs
SHIPs help millions of beneficiaries every year, often with fundamental questions about Medicare, Greiner said. People reach out wondering how to sign up for the program, what to do if they continue to work past 65, what their plan will cost, and what to do if they can’t afford Medicare premiums, all of which represent story angles reporters could pursue as Medicare reporting resources.
A Gap Between Available Help and Usage
About 5% of beneficiaries reported using a SHIP for help choosing a Medicare plan, according to a 2022 survey by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and grantmaking organization. Many more people surveyed found plans through insurance brokers, friends and family, or said they didn’t receive help at all, highlighting a gap that reporters covering Medicare reporting resources could investigate directly.
Why SHIPs Offer a Distinct Advantage
Reporters’ stories could highlight Medicare resources like SHIPs specifically because working with one is free and, unlike some insurance companies and brokers, SHIPs’ advice is unbiased. “We do not sell or market any product whatsoever,” Greiner said. SHIPs in every state and several U.S. territories are listed on shiphelp.org.
Long-Term Care Ombudsmen as Additional Medicare Reporting Resources
There is other free, widely available help for older Americans, too. Genevieve Gaboriault, deputy ombudsman for long-term care at Minnesota’s Office of the Ombudsman for Long-Term Care, gave a tutorial on their program at the conference. Similar to SHIPs, government-funded long-term care ombudsmen operate throughout the country, forming another category of Medicare reporting resources available to journalists and beneficiaries alike.
Story Angles Around Long-Term Care
Reporters can get the word out about these advocates, which provide information about nursing homes, other residential care options, and home- and community-based services. There are also story opportunities around long-term care issues ombudsmen help with, such as understaffing, poor performance, private equity ownership, and differing regulations between facility types.
Commonwealth Fund Data Adds to Medicare Reporting Resources
Gretchen Jacobson, vice president of Medicare, expanding coverage and access at the Commonwealth Fund, provided some of the organization’s data to inform additional stories. For example, 88% of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries said plans’ access to supplemental benefits is important when choosing a plan, according to a 2023-2024 Commonwealth Fund survey. Still, 31% reported not using supplemental benefits over the past year.
A Reporting Opportunity Around Underused Benefits
Reporters could investigate that gap and report on how people shop for plans and why some aren’t fully using their benefits, one of several data-driven angles Jacobson pointed to as useful Medicare reporting resources. She also noted that billions of taxpayer dollars pay for those supplemental benefits, meaning the costs, trade-offs, and politics of that government spending could offer opportunities for policy-focused reporting as well.
Why Medicare Reporting Resources Matter Going Forward
With over 70 million beneficiaries and nearly $1 trillion in federal spending, Medicare offers a lot of fertile ground for reporting. As an increasing number of baby boomers age into the program, demand for more and better information, and the Medicare reporting resources that can supply it, is only likely to grow in the years ahead.
