Long Term Care

Implementation Briefs

Dual-eligible Medicare/Medicaid Beneficiaries

Categories: Implementation Update, Long Term Care, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare

Posted on August 10, 2011

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), in 2008 there were an estimated 9.2 million individuals who were eligible for and enrolled in both the Medicare and Medicaid programs (commonly referred to as “dual eligibles”). Two-thirds of dual eligibles qualify because they are over age 65, while the other third qualify because of a disability. Dual-eligible beneficiaries typically have multiple chronic conditions that require a higher level of care and result in increased spending relative to other Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries; however, their care is not usually coordinated. Policymakers have expressed concern that the lack of coordination between the two programs results in higher costs and poorer health outcomes than would be achieved if Medicare and Medicaid services were better integrated.

Chronic Disease Management

Categories: Health Care Quality and Delivery System Reform, Long Term Care, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Public Health

Posted on February 23, 2011

More than 40% of the U.S. population has one or more chronic condition. Although the likelihood of having a chronic disease increases with age, approximately half of working-age Americans has at least one chronic condition. The prevalence of chronic diseases is increasing in both the elderly and non-elderly populations, with a significant increase in the number of people with multiple chronic diseases. Increased spending on chronic diseases in Medicare is a significant driver of the overall increase in Medicare spending over the last twenty years. Nevertheless, given the high cost of treating chronic diseases, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes many provisions to encourage chronic disease management as part of the overall emphasis on improving the efficiency of health care.