Finding Common Ground On Medicaid Reform For Dual Eligibles

Editor’s Note: This is the final post in a five-part Health Affairs Blog series, produced in conjunction with the Bipartisan Policy Center, examining current issues and care models in the delivery system reform effort. Each post is jointly authored by Democratic and Republican leaders in health policy. Read all of the posts here. Medicaid is the primary source of health insurance for families and children that meet the income and program eligibility requirements. It is also the largest single source of financing for long-term services and supports (LTSS), which help individuals who need it engage in the activities of daily living, such as getting dressed in the morning. Despite Medicaid’s prominent role in the U.S. health system—or maybe because of its role—bipartisan agreement is rarely achieved. Republicans and Democrats often disagree over the size and financing of the program, and without question, they have differing visions of the role of Medicaid over the long term. There is consensus, however, on the need and the opportunity to contain spending growth and improve care delivery for the nearly 11 million Medicare beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicaid, a group often referred to as “dual eligibles.” This would be no small feat, as this population is responsible for about a third of all Medicaid costs, though they only represent 15 percent of the population of beneficiaries. The dual-eligible population consists predominately of low-income older adul...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Featured Medicaid and CHIP Medicare Payment Policy Quality bipartisan delivery system reform dual eligibles Source Type: blogs