On January 1, 2006, the six million Americans who are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid saw a change in how their prescription drugs are covered. Dual eligibles, as they are called, were transitioned from Medicaid into the Medicare prescription drug benefit. As a group, duals are poorer and sicker than those on Medicare. Consequently, they have more extensive health and prescription drug needs than most Medicare beneficiaries.

Most duals were automatically enrolled in coverage plans by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Others made their own selections. In 2005, the Kaiser Family Foundation produced a video exploring the concerns some dual-eligibles had about this transition. This latest video, produced in 2006, follows up on what their experiences have been now that the program has been enacted and what challenges they may face as insurers re-evaluate their plans every year.

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