Disability Research Forums

The CSDP hosts a lunchtime seminar series providing opportunities to learn about the latest disability policy research findings and to discuss implications for disability policy. Experts from the Center present recently released findings and lead discussions about their policy implications. For more information on the forums, email Disability Forums.

You may attend forums in person or via webinar. Please register to participate, as space for both in-person and webinar participants is limited.

Forum Number 20
Coordinating Care and Services for Dual Eligibles:
Bringing Medicare and Medicaid Together for People with High Needs and High Costs
Thursday, June 28, 2012 • 12:00-1:30 p.m. (EDT)
Mathematica's Washington, DC, office (directions)

Register to attend:
In person (lunch will be provided)
or
via webinar

Speakers:
Randy Brown, Vice President and Director of Health Research, Mathematica
Jim Verdier, Senior Fellow, Mathematica
Melanie Au, Researcher, Mathematica
Melanie Bella, Director, Federal Coordinated Health Care Office (Discussant)

Overview: Over 9.1 million older Americans and younger persons with disabilities are covered for health care services under both Medicare and Medicaid. These Medicare-Medicaid enrollees ("dual eligibles") tend to be among the poorest and highest-need beneficiaries in both programs, and their care needs account for a disproportionate source of spending across both programs.

This policy forum will present data highlighting key characteristics of dual eligibles and will examine the policy, programmatic, and financial challenges associated with meeting their care needs most effectively. Our panel of expert speakers will also highlight approaches that more than half of the states are taking to better integrate care for dual eligibles via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' State Demonstrations to Integrate Care for Dual Eligible Individuals and its Financial Alignment Initiative. These federal demonstration programs seeks to reduce costs and more effectively integrate care of dual Medicare-Medicaid enrollees by increasing access to, while eliminating duplication of, services across the two programs.

The forum will highlight:

• Key characteristics of the dual-eligible population
• Medical and financial barriers to adequately serving this population under current law and regulations
• State-level approaches and innovations to efficiently coordinate care of the dually enrolled
• Evidence on the effectiveness of these new approaches, as well as areas for continued research

Pre-registration is required for both the in-person event and the webinar. Please register by noon on Friday, June 22, to attend in person. All guests attending in person will be required to sign in and present photo identification.