Dual Eligible

Proposed changes in eligibility rules in both SNAP and Medicaid may jeopardize some people’s access to both adequate food and health care if various provisions of the bill take effect, in part because there is a significant overlap in eligibility requirements for Medicaid and SNAP across states. Four in 10 (40%) Medicaid enrollees receive SNAP benefits.

On May 22, the House passed a budget reconciliation bill that includes significant changes to the Medicaid program. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the bill would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $793 billion and reduce the number of people covered by Medicaid in 2034 by 10.3 million. Many of the reductions in coverage will be among the 22 million Medicaid enrollees ages 50 and older.

On May 22, the House passed a reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would partially pay to extend expiring tax cuts by cutting Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the bill would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $793 billion over ten years and 10.3 million fewer people would be enrolled in Medicaid in 2034, including 1.3 million people with Medicare, otherwise known as “dual-eligible individuals”.

This brief highlights key facts about Medicare beneficiaries living in rural areas, including their demographic and health characteristics, access to care, and satisfaction with care.

The interactive maps illustrate how many people are enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid in each congressional district, including the number of people receiving full Medicaid and partial Medicaid benefits.

The recently passed House budget resolution targets cuts to Medicaid of up to $880 billion or more over a decade to help pay for tax cuts. Major cuts to Medicaid may impact coverage for the almost 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries (12.2 million) who are also enrolled in Medicaid.

This analysis examines who was eligible for Medicare and/or Medicaid between 2002 and 2022 because they received disability benefits from one of the country’s Social Security disability programs, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Many who receive SSDI and SSI qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, known as dual-eligible individuals.

This issue brief merged beneficiary-level Medicare and Medicaid data from 2021 to document sources of coverage for dual-eligible individuals nationwide and by state.

This brief examines current Medicaid eligibility policies and enrollment patterns using data from KFF’s 2024 50-state survey of states’ eligibility and enrollment policies for seniors and people with disabilities, and 2021 Medicare and Medicaid claims data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).