As of 2021, there were about 13.2 million people who were dually enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare. Approximately, 9.8 million are full duals, meaning that they are enrolled in Medicare and full Medicaid. And 3.4 million are partial duals, meaning that the only Medicaid program they are enrolled in is a Medicare Savings Program. The dually eligible population tends to be more racially diverse (more likely to be Black or Hispanic), have lower incomes, and face greater health challenges than the general Medicare population.
Making Medicare and Medicaid work better together and ensuring dually enrolled individuals receive the affordability assistance they are entitled to and are not improperly billed is a top priority for Justice in Aging. In 2024, we launched a two-year project to improve the integration of Medicare and Medicaid, including improving Medicare Advantage plans targeted at those dually enrolled known as Duals Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs). Our work also focuses on educating and improving enrollment in Medicare Savings Programs and ensuring dually enrolled individuals are not improperly billed. Explore the resources below to find Issue Briefs, Fact Sheets, and other resources to help you connect older adults to these programs, as well as advocacy tips and manuals to help you expand, improve, and protect the programs in your own community.
