OAKLAND, CA – California's elderly population will more than double between 2000 and 2030, according to a new report, and the percentage of Medicare recipients in the state will continue on a steep upward trajectory.

California has the largest number of Medicare beneficiaries of any state (4.5 million enrollees), says a recent report from the California Health Care Foundation.

The RAND Corporation created the report – titled "California Health Care Almanac, Medicare Facts and Figures" – to help consumer advocates, healthcare providers and policymakers understand California's Medicare population and inform their efforts to design programs and policies that meet Medicare beneficiaries' needs.

Key findings in the report include:

• Medicare reimbursement for California beneficiaries' care is higher than the national average – about $600 more per beneficiary in 2006. In 2004 and 2005, total annual medical payments for Medicare beneficiaries in California averaged $11,326, of which $6,937 was paid by Medicare and $1,330 by beneficiaries in out-of-pocket expenses.
• A high percentage of Medicare members suffer from multiple chronic illnesses, and the figures are growing. In 2005, 79 percent of beneficiaries reported having two or more chronic conditions and 37 percent reported four or more.
• California's rural counties are home to higher percentages of Medicare enrollees than the state's urban centers.