Medicare Savings Program Take-Up Estimates and Profile of Enrolled and Unenrolled Individuals

What are state and national estimates of take-up of the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), and what are the characteristics of enrolled individuals and unenrolled individuals eligible for the MSPs?In this cross-sectional study representing 179 221 355 beneficiary-years, 56.7% of those eligible for the MSPs from 2018 to 2020 were enrolled; take-up varied across states and was higher among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries compared with traditional Medicare enrollees. Enrolled individuals had worse health, lower income, and fewer assets than individuals eligible for the MSPs who did not enroll.This study suggests that the MSPs are serving beneficiaries with greater financial and health insecurity; a policy to encourage participation among other eligible individuals is more likely to increase MSP take-up.

Corresponding Author: Sarah Kotb, PhD, Economics Department, College of Social and Behavioral Science, University of Utah, 260 S Central Campus Dr, Ste 4100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (sarah.kotb@utah.edu).

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