Redesigned Community Brochure

Medicare Current Beneficiary
Survey Data Inform Key Policy
Research
Some recent examples of findings from this
important survey are:

Half

81%

of Medicare beneficiaries did not
visit the dentist in the last year.
“Drilling Down on Dental
Coverage and Costs for Medicare
Beneficiaries” (Kaiser Family
Foundation, 2019)

For More Information
Call us toll-free at:
1-844-777-2151
Email us at:
mcbs@norc.org
Visit us at:
www.mcbs.norc.org or
www.cms.gov/MCBS

of Medicare beneficiaries have
some insurance coverage
other than Medicare,
including Medicaid, Medigap,
and employer-sponsored
insurance.
“Sources of Supplemental Coverage
Among Medicare Beneficiaries
in 2016” (Kaiser Family
Foundation, 2018)

21%

of Medicare beneficiaries age
65 and over have diabetes.
Beneficiaries with diabetes
report poorer health and higher
out-of-pocket costs than those
without diabetes.
“Diabetes Occurrence, Costs, and Access
to Care among Medicare Beneficiaries
Aged 65 Years and Over” (Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2017)

You can find these publications and
more information at www.mcbs.norc.org.

This survey is authorized by section 1875
(42 USC 139511) of the Social Security Act
and is conducted by NORC at the University
of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.
OMB No. 0938-0568 | Expires 2/29/2024

The
Medicare
Current
Beneficiary
Survey
(MCBS)

About the Medicare Current
Beneficiary Survey

Conducting the Survey

The survey has been collecting information
from Medicare beneficiaries about their
health care since 1991.

A professional interviewer from the official
survey contractor, NORC at the University of
Chicago, contacts each selected individual by
phone or in person to conduct the survey.

It is an important source of information
about people who use Medicare and their
experiences with health care.

The interviewer asks questions about the use
of health care services, opinions about those
services, and how much they cost.

Over 100,000 people have participated in the
survey since it began.

Multiple surveys are conducted in order to
document changes over time.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services oversees the Medicare program and
sponsors the survey.

The initial survey lasts about an hour,
while subsequent surveys last about ninety
minutes.

Prescription
drugs were the
largest single
expenditure in
2018 among
Medicare
beneficiaries.

Source: Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Chartbook, 2018

65%

Health care spending for
Medicare beneficiaries was
over $1 trillion in 2018;
Medicare covered 65%
of those costs.

Source: Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Chartbook, 2018

Participating in the Survey

Satisfaction with care among Medicare
beneficiaries residing only in the
community, 2018.

93%

of Medicare beneficiaries
report being satisfied
or very satisfied with
the quality of their
health care.

82%

of Medicare beneficiaries
report being satisfied
or very satisfied
with the cost of their
health care.

Each person contacted is scientifically chosen
to represent thousands of other Medicare
beneficiaries.
It is important to survey all selected
beneficiaries to get an accurate picture of the
Medicare population. Selected individuals
cannot be replaced.
Together, survey participants represent the
nation’s 65 million Medicare beneficiaries.

Source: Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Chartbook, 2018

Our Commitment to Participants’
Rights and Privacy
Participation is voluntary and participants
may skip any question they do not want to
answer.
Medicare benefits will not be affected in
any way by participants’ answers or their
decision whether or not to participate.
All information participants provide will be
kept private to the extent permitted by law
under the Federal Privacy Act of 1974.
The information given will only be used
to create summary tables and graphics for
research purposes. No personal information
is released publicly.