Data
Medicare is a U.S government program providing health insurance for people age 65 and older, some disabled persons less than age 65, and people with permanent kidney failure. Medicare is the nation's largest health insurance program covering over 39 million Americans. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the federal agency that administers Medicare while the Social Security Administration enrolls beneficiaries in the program. In North Carolina, 94% of all persons age 65 and older are enrolled in Medicare, making Medicare data an excellent source for population-based statistics.