President Barack Obama told the National Governors Association in February, “we know that over half of all Medicaid costs come from just 5 percent of enrollees.”
Many of these patients are known as “dual eligibles,” poor elderly or disabled individuals who qualify for Medicare as well as Medicaid.
They are among the patients with the severest need for care and the fewest resources to get it. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 66 percent of dual eligibles have three or more chronic conditions, 61 percent are cognitively or mentally impaired and 22 percent require assistance with two or more daily tasks, such as getting dressed and bathing. Almost nine out of 10 live below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
via politico.com