In a response to a request for information included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule: Medicare program; Request for Information on Medicare, 87 Fed. Reg. 46918 (August 1, 2022), MACPAC outlined how integrating care for people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid has the potential to improve beneficiary experience and outcomes, advance equity, and reduce federal and state spending.
As CMS looks to strengthen Medicare Advantage to align with its vision of more equitable, high quality, whole-person care, MACPAC urged CMS “not to overlook the dually eligible population.” The letter highlighted MACPAC’s work and previous recommendations, which include steps to better integrate care through dual eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs), and opportunities for states to improve integration in their contracts with D-SNPs.
MACPAC recommended in its June 2022 report to Congress that all states should be required to develop a strategy to integrate Medicaid and Medicare coverage for full-benefit dually eligible beneficiaries within two years. The Commission recommended that the strategy include a state’s integration approach, eligibility and covered benefits, enrollment strategy, beneficiary protections, data analytics, and quality measurement, all of which should be structured to promote health equity.