Medicaid/Medicare Dual Enrollees
Over 7 million of Medicaid’s 50 million beneficiaries are “dual enrollees”, low-income elderly and individuals with disabilities who are enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. While Medicare covers basic health services, including physician and hospital care, dual enrollees rely on Medicaid to pay Medicare premiums and cost-sharing and for services that Medicare does not cover, such as prescription drugs and long-term care. Because dual enrollees have significant health needs and few resources to obtain the range of services they require, Medicaid’s assistance is crucial.