Dual eligibles account for varying share of Medicaid enrollees by state

The proportion of state Medicaid beneficiaries who are also enrolled in Medicare varies from a low of 10% in Arizona and Utah to 26% in Maine, according to a new report by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.

“These variations reflect a state’s demographic profile as well as state policy choices in Medicaid eligibility and coverage,” the report notes. “In general, states in the East – which tend to have older overall populations – have a higher share of Medicaid enrollees who are dual eligibles than those in the Midwest and West. However, states with a relatively low share of Medicaid enrollees who are duals (such as California and Illinois) may have a much higher number of dual eligibles enrolled in Medicaid than states with a higher share, since these states have larger overall populations.”

Mississippi is one of the 19 states with the highest percentage of dual eligibles (18% and over). According to the report, 26 states are developing proposals for a federal demonstration to integrate Medicare and Medicaid services and financing for dual eligibles.