Dual Eligible

On March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law. Although the date for full implementation of most provisions of the law is January 1, 2014, the ACA has already led to progress toward expanded coverage of the uninsured; improved access and better care delivery models; broader…

This issue brief compares the financial alignment demonstrations for beneficiaries who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid in states that have memoranda of understanding approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Transitions is a video that explores some of the issues and challenges “dual eligibles” may face during the transition from Medicaid drug coverage to Medicare. To download the video, right-click here and select “Save as…”

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. The dual eligible population was transitioned from Medicaid into the Medicare prescription drug benefit. As a group, these beneficiaries are poorer and sicker than…

The Medicare program offers health and financial protection to nearly 50 million seniors and younger people with disabilities, though many beneficiaries still face significant out-of-pocket expenses. This analysis examines how much Medicare households spend on health-related expenses compared to other spending priorities and compared to non-Medicare households, the extent to which Medicare households’ health spending as a share of household budgets varies by age and poverty level, and changes in Medicare households’ health spending over time.

This report projects the impact of the new Medicare drug benefit on out-of-pocket spending for people who enroll in 2006. This analysis from November 2004 estimates that 6.9 million beneficiaries are projected to be affected by the coverage gap (the so-called “doughnut hole”) in the standard Part D drug benefit.…

This chartpack highlights demographic data about African Americans, Hispanics and whites with Medicare to highlight potential implications for outreach efforts under the new Medicare drug benefit. The information is being used in a series of November 2005 briefings at the start of the first open-enrollment period for the new benefit.…

As federal and state governments advance efforts to better coordinate care and reduce costs for people dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid benefits, this brief examines how insurers now serving these markets view the opportunities and challenges, including a look at Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans.