Dual Eligibility and LTC: Consequences for Medicare and Medicaid

Dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries account for a disproportionately large share of both programs' expenditures.! The demand for services originates from the vulnerability of dually eligible patients both in terms of frail health status and personal economics. In addition, this group is growing larger and faster than other beneficiaries. The service and cost challenges presented by the dually eligible will continue to increase for both programs well into the first quarter of the century.! The care needs of LTC residents are not restricted to LTC services only. Such patients require acute care, physician services, and prescription drugs in addition to LTC services. Therefore, in tracking the utilization and cost patterns of LTC patients, it is necessary to develop a picture over an extended period of time and to include a wide array of services and costs. Almost two-thirds of Medicaid expenditures nationally are allocated to aged, blind, and disabled (ABD)