Quality, cost of Medicare coverage vary by state, report finds

The quality and cost of Medicare coverage depend on where you live, according to new research.

The Commonwealth Fund, a research nonprofit focused on health care, on Thursday released a report grading how well Medicare works for people in each state and the District of Columbia. The federally funded health insurance program covers about 68 million Americans who are at least 65 years old, and an additional 7 million with disabilities.

Medicare ostensibly provides the same coverage to all enrollees, but how individuals experience that coverage differs by state, researchers found.

“In some states, beneficiaries can see doctors quickly and afford their prescriptions,” Gretchen Johnson, vice president at the Commonwealth Fund, said in a statement. “In others, they face higher costs, delays o