A bipartisan group of six members of the Senate Finance Committee has been working on improving coverage for people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. The 12.5 million “dual eligibles” make up 14% of all Medicaid enrollees and 17% of those in Medicare. They account for about a third of the spending in each program. On June 27th, LeadingAge signed onto a stakeholder letter consisting of plans, providers, and groups representing consumers to the six Senate offices who released the discussion draft bill. The letter applauded the Senate working group’s efforts to draft legislation aimed at improving coverage for people who are dual eligible—this is an important issue and federal legislation is necessary to remedy to complexities that providers and consumers face in coverage and care. The letter contains a handful of recommendations that are aimed at improving upon the working group’s efforts to date including:
- Removing Medicaid eligibility as a condition on enrollment in an integrated care plan.
- Simplifying the choice landscape.
- Expanding the scope of the implementation council.
- Improving care coordination requirements.
- Promoting equity and inclusion.
