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Medicare and Medicaid Dual Eligibility: Medicare D-SNP (Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans)
Reviewed by John Krahnert
Medicare beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicaid are considered dual eligible. If you are Medicare dual eligible, you may qualify for a Medicare D-SNP (Dual Special Needs Plan), which is a type of Medicare Advantage plan. D-SNP plans are not available in all states.
More than 12 million Americans are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and are enrolled in both programs.2
Beneficiaries who are eligible for this combination of coverage are sometimes called Medicare-Medicaid dual eligible.
If you are dual eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, you may qualify for a special type of Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan called a Medicare Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP). These plans aren’t available in all locations, however, so be sure to compare local plan options where you live.
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Can you have Medicare and Medicaid at the same time?
Medicare and Medicaid are both public health insurance programs. If you are dual eligible, you can have both Medicare and Medicaid coverage at the same time.
Two of the key differences between Medicare vs. Medicaid include:
- Medicare is for people age 65 and over and for certain people under 65 who have a qualifying disability. Medicare eligibility is consistent for everyone across the U.S., no matter what state you live in.
- Medicaid is for people of any age who meet certain income qualifications. Medicaid is administered by state governments, and eligibility requirements can differ between states.
Who is dual eligible for Medicare and Medicaid?
To be Medicare dual eligible, you have to meet the requirements for Medicare and your state’s Medicaid program.
To be eligible for Medicare, you must:
- Be at least 65 years old or having a qualifying disability or health condition
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
- Be eligible for benefits through Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board
Generally speaking, Medicaid provides health insurance to individuals and families, children and pregnant women who are eligible based on income specific income thresholds.
One way to find out if you are eligible for Medicaid in your state is to visit your state’s Medicaid website for more information.
If you're eligible for Medicaid and want to find out if you're also eligible for a dual-eligible Medicare Medicaid plan, you can all to speak with a licensed insurance to find out if you're eligible and if any dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid plans are available where you live.
What type of coverage do you get if you are dual eligible for Medicare and Medicaid?
There are two levels of coverage for beneficiaries who are dual eligible:
- Full dual eligible
Full dual eligible refers to those who receive full Medicaid benefits and are also enrolled in Medicare.
People who are full dual eligible typically receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, which provide cash assistance for basic food and housing needs.
Qualifying as full dual eligible is based on your assets, which include checking and savings accounts, stocks, real estate (other than your primary residence) and vehicles (if you own more than one). - Partial dual eligible
Partial dual eligibility includes those who receive assistance from Medicaid in order to help pay for Medicare costs such as premiums, coinsurance or deductibles.
Partial dual eligible beneficiaries fall into one of four categories of eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs.
A Medicare Savings Program (MSP) is a federally funded program administered within each state that helps lower income people pay for Medicare premiums, deductibles, copayments and coinsurance.
The four Medicare Savings Programs are outlined below.
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program
This program helps pay for Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and copayments.
Eligibility requires:
- Income of no more than $1,275 per month for an individual in 2024, or $1,724 per month for a married couple
- Resources of no more than $9,430 for an individual in 2024, or $14,130 for a married couple
Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program
The SLMB program helps pay for Medicare Part B premiums.
Eligibility requires:
- Income of no more than $1,526 per month for an individual in 2024, or $2,064per month for a married couple
- Resources of no more than $9,430 for an individual in 2024, or $14,130 for a married couple
Qualifying Individual (QI) Program
Like the SLMB, the Qualifying Individual program helps pay for Part B premiums.
Eligibility requires:
- Income of no more than $1,715 per month for an individual in 2024, or $2,320 for a married couple
- Resources of no more than $9,430 for an individual in 2024, or $14,130 for married couples
Qualified Disabled Working Individual (QDWI) Program
The QDWI Program helps pay for the Medicare Part A premium for certain people who meet one of the following criteria:
- Have a disability but are still working
- Lost their premium-free Part A coverage when they returned to work
- Are not receiving medical assistance from their state
- Meet the income and resource limits below
- Income of no more than $5,105 per month for an individual in 2024, or $6,899 for a married couple.
- Resources of $4,000 for an individual in 2024, or $6,000 for a married couple.
The income and resource limits listed above may increase in 2025. If your income and resources are slightly higher, you should still apply.
Medicare Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs)
Another type of coverage that can be available to dual eligible beneficiaries (depending on where you live) is a Medicare Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP).
A Medicare special needs plan is a certain type of Medicare Advantage plan that is designed for people with specific health conditions or circumstances.
A D-SNP is built for the specific needs of dual eligibles. All Medicare SNPs (including Medicare D-SNPs) provide prescription drug coverage.
How do Medicare and Medicaid work together?
For dual eligible beneficiaries, Medicare serves as the primary payer, and Medicaid acts as the secondary payer.
That means Medicare is the first to pay for covered services and items, and then Medicaid will help pay some or all of your remaining costs.
What is PACE for Medicare and Medicaid?
Another Medicare and Medicaid program is PACE, or Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.
PACE helps older Medicare beneficiaries to seek health care within their community, in their home and at PACE facilities.
Some of the things that can be covered by PACE include:
- Adult day primary care
- Dental care
- Emergency services
- Home care
- Hospital care
- Lab and X-ray services
- Meals
- Medical specialty services
- Nursing home care
- Nutritional counseling
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Prescription drugs
- Preventive care
- Respite care
- Social work counseling
- Caregiver training
- Transportation to a PACE facility when medically necessary
PACE is not strictly restricted to Medicare dual eligible beneficiaries. You may be eligible for PACE with only Medicare or only Medicaid (or both).
However, you must meet all of the following conditions:
- Be at least 55 years old
- Live in the service area of a PACE organization
- Require a nursing home-level of care
- Be able to live safely in the community with help from PACE
What is Medicare Extra Help?
Extra Help is a federal program that helps pay for out-of-pocket costs related to Medicare prescription drug coverage. Extra Help is also known as the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS).
The assistance that Medicare Extra Help may provide includes:
- Help paying Part D premiums
- Lowered out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs
- An annual Special Enrollment Period to enroll in a Part D plan or switch to a new one
- Elimination of Part D late enrollment penalties
You automatically qualify for Extra Help if you are enrolled in Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income or a Medicare Savings Program.
You may still qualify for Extra Help if you are not enrolled in any of those programs but still have income and assets below a certain limit.
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Medicare D-SNPs aren’t as widely available as other types of Medicare Advantage plans.
A licensed insurance agent can help you explore your Medicare Advantage plan options. Compare the plans that are available and find out what they may cover and whether you’re eligible.
About the author
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
..Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.
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