A report from the Commonwealth Fund examines the effects of changing the eligibility requirements for Medicare savings plans (MSPs) to enable more beneficiaries to take advantage of the financial assistance offered program participation.

From the summary:

Medicare savings programs are designed to provide financial assistance to Medicare beneficiaries whose income and assets are too high to allow them to qualify for full Medicaid coverage. In examining policy changes that would expand eligibility by either relaxing resource requirements or increasing the income limit, the authors find a trade-off between making more beneficiaries eligible and targeting a smaller group of individuals with greater health care needs.

Full report: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/In-the-Literature/2010/Feb/Medicare-Savings-Programs-Analyzing-Options-for-Expanding-Eligibility.aspx

The Commonwealth Fund. (2010). Medicare savings programs: analyzing options for expanding eligibility. Zuckerman, S., Shang, B. and Waidmann, T.