HHS gives states $15 million to improve care for dual-eligibles

Using funds from the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it has given 15 states $1 million each to help coordinate and improve care for "dual-eligibles." Many dual-eligibles (individuals who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid) are in long-term care settings and are among the country's sickest and poorest individuals.

The goal of the funding is to reduce duplication of services, lower costs and improve access to care, according to HHS. The Affordable Care Act created new federal agencies to streamline care within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including the Federal Coordinated Health Care Office, or the Duals Office, and Center of Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

“Beneficiaries who are in both Medicare and Medicaid can face different benefit plans, different rules for how to get those benefits and potential conflicts in care plans among providers who do not coordinate with each other,” said CMS administrator Donald M. Berwick, in an HHS statement about the new funding. “This can be disastrous for those beneficiaries who are most vulnerable and in need of help.”

The states receiving additional funding for dual eligibles are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.