Matt Dobias writes in POLITICAL writes that the approximately 9 million people on both Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligibles) tend to have multiple health problems, and their care is both highly fragmented and very expensive.
The dual eligible population tends to be sicker, poorer and harder to reach than other patient groups. Although they make up only 15 percent of Medicaid, they account for almost 40 percent of expenditures, according to the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.
The CMS demonstration program, which includes 15 states and the potential for 3 million enrollees, aims to better align care with treatment by putting duals in either a capitated or managed fee-for-service plan — or both. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who helped shape the effort, has called for its immediate halt.
Health Care Managers and individuals interested in Medicare/Medicaid should read more:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78558.html
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