U.S. Senate Working Group Introduces the Delivering Unified Access to Lifesaving Services (DUALS) Act of 2024

Health EquityPolicy Analysis and DevelopmentLong-Term Services and SupportsMedicaid-Medicare Integrations

Mar 27

Written By

Through the DUALS Act of 2024, Senators Bill Cassidy, Tom Carper, John Cornyn, Mark Warner, Tim Scott, and Bob Menendez, members of the Senate Duals Working Group, seek to improve and streamline care coordination for the more than 12 million individuals who are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. Senator Warner says that the DUALS legislation “is the result of a year of work and input from stakeholders across the country.” After supporting the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) for more than a decade on policy and programming for dual eligible beneficiaries, Aurrera Health Group is excited to see elected officials focus on solutions to provide high-quality integrated options for dually eligible beneficiaries. We were pleased to provide comments in response to the initial request for information (RFI) issued by the Senate Duals Working Group. While encouraged by the progress of the Working Group, we also are aware of challenges related to implementation of integrated programs. As the legislative process moves forward, we hope that the proposed act will retain and continue to reflect stakeholder feedback, especially around reducing beneficiary confusion and improving beneficiary experience. The KFF Profile of Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees (Dual Eligibles) brief tells us that the vast majority of dual eligibles live below the poverty line; additionally, almost two-thirds of dual eligibles live with three or more chronic conditions, and when compared to individuals who were just enrolled in Medicare, they are twice as likely to have mental health conditions. It is challenging enough for beneficiaries to manage their complex conditions; navigating and negotiating a fragmented, siloed system only adds to their burden. As elected officials work to advance integrated offerings for dually eligible beneficiaries across the country, we remain dedicated to examining, advising and working to improve the landscape as it pertains to dual eligibles.