Medicare Blog

how has aca affect dual enrollees medicare and medicaid

by Miss Mayra Willms Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago

Carey, Miller, and Wherry found no evidence that the ACA Medicaid expansion compromised access for Medicare enrollees, 15 while evidence from an audit study in 10 states found increased appointment availability for Medicaid patients and stable appointment availability for privately insured patients following the ACA. 16 The audit study also found evidence of increased wait times for both Medicaid and privately insured patients, however.

The ACA eliminates cost sharing in Medicare Part D plans for some dual eligibles. The law states that all Medicare Part D cost-sharing will be waived for full benefit duals who would be institutionalized but for the provision of home and community-based services, effective January 1, 2012.

Full Answer

What are the changes in Medicaid enrollment following the ACA?

Medicaid enrollment changes following the ACA 1 Medicaid enrollment changes nationally. ... 2 Medicaid enrollment increases in expansion states. ... 3 Increased enrollment among previously eligible individuals. ... 4 Alignment with projections. ... More items...

What are the benefits of dual eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare?

Benefits of Dual Eligibility Persons who are enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare may receive greater healthcare coverage and have lower out-of-pocket costs. For Medicare covered expenses, such as medical and hospitalization, Medicare is always the first payer (primary payer).

What percentage of dual-eligible enrollment is dually eligible?

ESRD 0.6% Sources: Dual-Eligible Enrollment Data come from Monthly Enrollment Snapshots: Quarterly Update from September 2020. The Percentage of Medicaid Population that is Dually Eligible by State was calculated by dividing dual-eligible enrollment by total Medicaid enrollment.

Where does the Medicare-Medicaid share of dual-eligible enrollment data come from?

Share of Dual-Eligible Enrollment by Current Reason for Medicare Entitlement data come from the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office Annual Enrollment Trends (2006-2019 data). Notes: All data points include dual-eligible individuals who are eligible for full Medicaid benefits. National Context State Health System Performance

How did the Affordable Care Act affect Medicare and Medicaid?

The ACA closed the Medicare Part D coverage gap, or “doughnut hole,” helping to reduce prescription drug spending. It also increased Part B and D premiums for higher-income beneficiaries. The Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018 modified both of these policies.

How does the ACA affect the US health care system and Medicare?

The ACA reduced the annual increases in payments to hospitals under the traditional Medicare program. It also reduced payments to Medicare Advantage plans. Partly because of these measures, increases in Medicare expenditures have been 20 percent lower than projected since the law was enacted.

Does the Affordable Care Act affect Medicare Advantage plans?

The ACA reduced payments to Medicare Advantage plans over six years, which brought these payments closer to the average costs of care under the traditional Medicare program. In 2016, federal payments to plans were 2 percent higher than traditional Medicare spending (including quality-based bonus payments to plans).

What impact has Medicare expansion under the Affordable Care Act ACA had on health care access and utilization among the uninsured?

Medicaid expansion states have seen larger reductions in both uninsured rates and uncompensated care costs. From 2013 to 2017 those costs fell by 45 percent in expansion states, compared to only 2 percent in non-expansion states.

What are the cons of the Affordable Care Act?

Cons:The cost has not decreased for everyone. Those who do not qualify for subsidies may find marketplace health insurance plans unaffordable. ... Loss of company-sponsored health plans. ... Tax penalties. ... Shrinking networks. ... Shopping for coverage can be complicated.

How does the Affordable Care Act make healthcare more affordable?

The ACA helps to make health care more affordable in two ways: by providing insurance coverage for approximately 50 million people who are currently uninsured and by striving to control health care costs by changing how medical services are paid for.

How would ACA repeal affect Medicare beneficiaries?

Dismantling the ACA could thus eliminate those savings and increase Medicare spending by approximately $350 billion over the ten years of 2016- 2025. This would accelerate the insolvency of the Medicare Trust Fund. Undoing the ACA would jeopardize these fiscal gains and harm Medicare's long term financial stability.

How does the Affordable Care Act affect the elderly?

"The ACA expanded access to affordable coverage for adults under 65, increasing coverage for all age groups, races and ethnicities, education levels, and incomes."Under the ACA, older adults' uninsured rate has dropped by a third, indicators of their health and wellness have improved, and they're now protected from ...

Can I have both Medicare and Obamacare?

No. The Marketplace doesn't affect your Medicare choices or benefits, so if you have Medicare coverage, you don't need to do anything. This means no matter how you get Medicare, whether through Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), you don't have to make any changes.

How does the Affordable Care Act affect Medicaid quizlet?

How did the Affordable Care Act affect Medicaid? Federal government will provide funds for increases in payments to primary care doctors, including family physicians, internal medicine, and pediatricians. What is access to care and what is access affected by? What percent of the uninsured are employed?

How does the ACA affect vulnerable populations?

The ACA has increased access to health care for vulnerable populations; decreased the percentage of Americans who say they went without care due to cost; and spurred America's insurers, hospitals, and clinicians to change how they deliver and pay for health care.

What are the changes to Medicaid?

Overall, there are three main changes the ACA makes to eligibility and enrollment that are expected to contribute to Medicaid enrollment gains (Figure 1): Figure 1: ACA Medicaid Changes that Will Impact Enrollment. Medicaid expansion to low-income adults. The ACA expands Medicaid eligibility to adults with incomes at or below 138 percent ...

How many people were on Medicaid in 2014?

As of March 2014, Medicaid and CHIP enrollment grew by more than 4.8 million people compared to average monthly enrollment in the three months leading up to the start of open enrollment.

How many states are expanding Medicaid?

To date, 27 states, including DC, are implementing the expansion and additional states may expand moving forward. 1. Modernized, simpler enrollment processes. The ACA makes it easier for people to enroll in and renew Medicaid coverage.

What percentage of the poverty line is Medicaid?

Medicaid expansion to low-income adults. The ACA expands Medicaid eligibility to adults with incomes at or below 138 percent of the poverty line, which is just over $16,000 per year for an individual today.

Is Medicaid open enrollment year round?

Moreover, because Medicaid enrollment is not limited to the Marketplace open enrollment period, Medicaid outreach and enrollment efforts continue year-round. Together, these three key changes are expected to lead to increased Medicaid coverage and a reduction in the number of uninsured.

Does the ACA affect Medicaid?

Overall, the data suggest that the ACA is having a positive impact on Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, particularly in states that have implemented the Medicaid expansion. However, it remains challenging to quantify and separately identify the impacts of the specific ACA policies on enrollment. Although enrollment gains are an important indicator ...

Does Medicaid cover elderly?

Historically, Medicaid covered low-income children, pregnant women, elderly and disabled individuals, and some parents, but excluded other low-income adults. The expansion, which the Supreme Court effectively made optional for states in 2012, fills this longstanding gap in the program.

What is the impact of the Affordable Care Act on Medicare?

Among other benefits, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) helps individuals on Medicare to save money with preventative care and brand-name drugs. Starting in January 2014, Medicare began covering many preventative services with no out-of-pocket expense. This coverage includes an annual wellness visit ...

When will Medicare Part D donut hole close?

Medicare recipients will see some changes in their out-of-pocket expenses as the Medicare Part D donut hole is incrementally lowered to finally “close” in the year 2020. At that time, Medicare recipients will pay 25 percent of the drug cost.

What is the Medicare donut hole?

This refers to a temporary limit on prescription drug coverage, where the policy holder needs to pay a higher percentage of his or her medications after reaching this limit.

Is Medicare considered a dual insurance?

If you are “Dual Eligible,” generally Medicare would be billed first or considered your primary insurance, and then Medicaid would be billed for the balance acting as a secondary insurance. Please contact your local Department of Human Resources to determine if you qualify.

What is dual eligible?

Definition: Dual Eligible. To be considered dually eligible, persons must be enrolled in Medicare Part A, which is hospital insurance, and / or Medicare Part B, which is medical insurance. As an alternative to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), persons may opt for Medicare Part C, which is also known as Medicare Advantage.

What is Medicare and Medicaid?

Differentiating Medicare and Medicaid. Persons who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid are called “dual eligibles”, or sometimes, Medicare-Medicaid enrollees. Since it can be easy to confuse the two terms, Medicare and Medicaid, it is important to differentiate between them. While Medicare is a federal health insurance program ...

How much does Medicare Part B cost?

For Medicare Part B (medical insurance), enrollees pay a monthly premium of $148.50 in addition to an annual deductible of $203. In order to enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, one must be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. The monthly premium varies by plan, but is approximately $33 / month.

What is the income limit for Medicaid in 2021?

In most cases, as of 2021, the individual income limit for institutional Medicaid (nursing home Medicaid) and Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) via a Medicaid Waiver is $2,382 / month. The asset limit is generally $2,000 for a single applicant.

How old do you have to be to qualify for medicare?

Citizens or legal residents residing in the U.S. for a minimum of 5 years immediately preceding application for Medicare. Applicants must also be at least 65 years old. For persons who are disabled or have been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease or Lou Gehrig’s disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), there is no age requirement. Eligibility for Medicare is not income based. Therefore, there are no income and asset limits.

How to apply for medicaid?

How to Apply. To apply for Medicare, contact your local Social Security Administration (SSA) office. To apply for Medicaid, contact your state’s Medicaid agency. Learn about the long-term care Medicaid application process. Prior to applying, one may wish to take a non-binding Medicaid eligibility test.

Does Medicare cover out-of-pocket expenses?

Persons who are enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare may receive greater healthcare coverage and have lower out-of-pocket costs. For Medicare covered expenses, such as medical and hospitalization, Medicare is always the first payer (primary payer). If Medicare does not cover the full cost, Medicaid (the secondary payer) will cover the remaining cost, given they are Medicaid covered expenses. Medicaid does cover some expenses that Medicare does not, such as personal care assistance in the home and community and long-term skilled nursing home care (Medicare limits nursing home care to 100 days). The one exception, as mentioned above, is that some Medicare Advantage plans cover the cost of some long term care services and supports. Medicaid, via Medicare Savings Programs, also helps to cover the costs of Medicare premiums, deductibles, and co-payments.

How much did Medicaid enrollment increase in Georgia in 2020?

Between July and September 2013 and July 2020: enrollment increased by 2.3 million or 12.6 percent; these increases ranged from 0.2 percent to 28.4 percent in Georgia;

Why is Medicaid enrollment growing?

One of the underlying reasons for the welcome-mat effect may be that previously eligible individuals may not have known they were eligible for coverage and applied as a result of increased outreach efforts surrounding ACA implementation.

How many children are on medicaid in 2020?

As of July 2020, 36.9 million children were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP in 49 reporting states and the District of Columbia, with child enrollment comprising nearly half (49.9) percent) of enrollment in these states ( CMS 2020 ). [3]

What is the Affordable Care Act?

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148, as amended) establishes new avenues to coverage for low- and moderate-income individuals. As enacted, the law required states to extend Medicaid eligibility to adults with incomes below 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), ...

Has the uninsured rate increased?

For example, the American Community Survey found a 0.3 percent increase in the uninsured rate between 2018 and 2019.

How did the ACA reduce Medicare costs?

Cost savings through Medicare Advantage. The ACA gradually reduced costs by restructuring payments to Medicare Advantage, based on the fact that the government was spending more money per enrollee for Medicare Advantage than for Original Medicare. But implementing the cuts has been a bit of an uphill battle.

How many Medicare Advantage enrollees are there in 2019?

However, those concerns have turned out to be unfounded. In 2019, there were 22 million Medicare Advantage enrollees, and enrollment in Advantage plans had been steadily growing since 2004.; Medicare Advantage now accounts for well over a third of all Medicare beneficiaries.

How much does Medicare Part B cost in 2020?

Medicare D premiums are also higher for enrollees with higher incomes .

What is Medicare D subsidy?

When Medicare D was created, it included a provision to provide a subsidy to employers who continued to offer prescription drug coverage to their retirees, as long as the drug covered was at least as good as Medicare D. The subsidy amounts to 28 percent of what the employer spends on retiree drug costs.

Why did Medicare enrollment drop?

When the ACA was enacted, there were expectations that Medicare Advantage enrollment would drop because the payment cuts would trigger benefit reductions and premium increases that would drive enrollees away from Medicare Advantage plans.

What percentage of Medicare donut holes are paid?

The issue was addressed immediately by the ACA, which began phasing in coverage adjustments to ensure that enrollees will pay only 25 percent of “donut hole” expenses by 2020, compared to 100 percent in 2010 and before.

How many Medicare Advantage plans will be available in 2021?

For 2021, there are 21 Medicare Advantage and/or Part D plans with five stars. CMS noted that more than three-quarters of all Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans with integrated Part D prescription coverage would be in plans with at least four stars as of 2021.

How did the Affordable Care Act affect Medicare?

The Affordable Care Act also affected Medicare by adding coverage for a "Wellness Visit" and a “Welcome to Medicare” preventative visit. It also eliminated cost-sharing for almost all of the preventive services covered by Medicare.

When does Medicare enrollment end?

In most cases, the initial enrollment period begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months afterward. For most people, it’s beneficial to sign up for Medicare during this time. This is because those who sign up for Medicare after the initial enrollment period ends, face some negative consequences.

What is the Affordable Care Act?

The Affordable Care Act provides ways for hospitals, doctors and other health care providers to coordinate their care for Medicare beneficiaries. As a result, health care quality is improved and unnecessary spending is reduced.

How long will the Medicare Trust fund be extended?

The Affordable Care Act Ensures the Protection of Medicare for Future Years. Under the Affordable Care Act, the Medicare Trust fund will be extended to at least the year 2029. This is a 12-year extension that is primarily the result of a reduction in waste, fraud, and abuse, as well as Medicare costs.

What are the initiatives under the Affordable Care Act?

Under these initiatives, your doctor may get additional resources that will help ensure that your treatment is consistent. The Affordable Care Act provides ways for hospitals, doctors and other health care providers to coordinate their care for Medicare beneficiaries. As a result, health care quality is improved and unnecessary spending is reduced.

How much does Medicare pay for generic drugs?

In 2016, people with Medicare paid 45% for brand-name drugs and 58% for generic drugs while in the coverage gap. These percentages have shrunk over the last few years. Starting in 2020, however, you’ll pay only 25% for covered brand-name and generic drugs during the coverage gap.

How long does Medicare cover preventive visits?

This is a one-time visit. During the visit, your health care provider will review your health, as well as provide education and counseling about preventive services and other care.

Three Main ACA Changes Lead to Medicaid Enrollment gains.

Image
Even though most observers remain focused on the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, the ACA strengthens and improves Medicaid in other key ways that will increase Medicaid enrollment. Overall, there are three main changes the ACA makes to eligibility and enrollment that are expected to contribute to Medicaid enrollment g…
See more on kff.org

What Do CMS Medicaid Enrollment Data Show?

  • CMS recently began publishing monthly reports as part of an initiative to provide data on a broad set of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility and enrollment performance indicators to inform program management and oversight.2This type of timely data had never before been reported and is providing some of the fastest insights on national Medicaid enrollment in the program’s history. …
See more on kff.org

What Have We Learned from The New Enrollment Data?

  • The recent enrollment data from CMS show strong growth relative to previous enrollment trends. Earlier Medicaid and CHIP enrollment data collected and analyzed by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured for multiple years show that enrollment growth was slowing prior to the beginning of open enrollment as economic conditions continued to improve, at 1.4 million b…
See more on kff.org

Looking Ahead

  • The new enrollment data reported by CMS suggest that the ACA is having a strong positive impact on Medicaid enrollment, particularly in states that have implemented the Medicaid expansion. However, ultimately the key measure of the ACA’s success will changes in the number of uninsured. Early survey findings show promising reductions in the uninsured rate to date. Ho…
See more on kff.org

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9