State Contracting with Medicare Advantage Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans: Issues and Options

Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) are a type of Medicare Advantage plan that serve beneficiaries dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. To operate in a state, D-SNPs must have a contract with the state to facilitate coordination of Medicare and Medicaid services for enrollees, although states are not required to enter into such contracts. This technical assistance tool is based on an analysis of D-SNP contracts in 12 states, including states that have made the most extensive use of D-SNP contracting by linking D-SNPs to Medicaid managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) programs that include the main services that Medicaid covers for Medicare-Medicaid enrollees. This tool summarizes how these states have developed those linkages, and describes the specific care coordination and information-sharing requirements that the states have included in their D-SNP contracts. The D-SNP contracting approaches used by this diverse group of 12 states can provide guidance and examples for states that have varying opportunities and resources for D-SNP contracting, including states that choose not to contract with D-SNPs.