Medicare/Medicaid Dual Enrollees
Though Medicare assistance is vital to the 40 million elderly persons and individuals with disabilities enrolled in the program, the requirement that beneficiaries contribute to the cost of their care through premiums and coinsurance can impose a significant burden on low-income individuals. The poorest Medicare beneficiaries are eligible for protection from these medical expenses through the Medicaid program, but many persons living just below or above the poverty level are not eligible for full Medicaid assistance and cannot afford private supplemental insurance to help cover these costs. The Medicare Savings Programs are designed to assist these low-income Medicare beneficiaries with the cost of Medicare premiums and coinsurance by paying all or some of these costs.