Integrating care for individuals who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid offers a promising opportunity to improve care and control costs.  This Center for Health Care Strategies brief explores different ways in which care can be integrated for this high-cost population.

From the report:

To address the needs of dual eligibles within the constraints of tightening budgets, several states have developed models to closely integrate Medicare and Medicaid benefits and funding. One such option has been through special needs plans (SNPs), which are private plans that may be available to beneficiaries in any of three categories—those who are dual eligibles, have severe or disabling chronic conditions, or are institutionalized—through the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. While SNPs offer a useful vehicle that, at a minimum, allows integration of Medicare and Medicaid funding at the plan level, this option has been plagued by uncertainties, including a previous moratorium on new SNPs and uncertain prospects due to program authorization that expires in December 2010.

Full report available at:  Supporting Alternative Integrated Models for Dual Eligibles (PDF | 200.46 KB)

Center for Health Care Strategies. (2009). Supporting alternative integrated models for dual eligibles: A legal analysis of current and future options. Rosenbaum, S.; Thorpe, J. H. and Schroth, S.