Dual Eligibles; Integrated Care; Medicare; Medicaid

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) have released an updated data book, Beneficiaries Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. This is the sixth edition of the book and describes the dually eligible population’s composition, service use, and spending in 2019. The book compares subgroups of dually eligible beneficiaries, such as those with full and partial benefits as well as those under age 65 and those ages 65 and older.

NCOA has partnered with the Medicare Rights Center to develop a toolkit for counselors who work with dual eligibles and beneficiaries. The toolkit includes a break down of coverage options in an easy-to-understand format for counselors and consumers. This toolkit was created following interviews and focus groups with counselors, and will be updated and enhanced with additional materials on an ongoing basis.

This issue brief from the MLTSS Institute focuses on aspects of delivering effective care to individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Only about 2/3 of states have undertaken any activity to better integrate care for dually eligible beneficiaries; many have encountered a number of barriers in pursuing better integration of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. This issue brief identifies key questions that states should ask themselves before they design an integrated care program.