Barriers to Medicaid Enrollment for Seniors: Findings from 10 Focus Groups with Low-Income Seniors

Abstract:

Medicaid coverage substantially improves access to health care and lessens the financial burden of medical care for low-income seniors, but the program currently reaches only half of all poor Medicare beneficiaries. This report presents findings of focus groups with low-income seniors in an effort to understand barriers to enrollment for those who are eligible for Medicaid but who are not enrolled in the program, and to learn about the experiences of low-income seniors who are enrolled in Medicaid to see how the program is working for them. The report concludes with a list of strategies for encouraging greater enrollment of low-income seniors in Medicaid.