Approximately 10 percent of newly age-eligible Medicare enrollees receive assistance from States either as full Medicaid benefits or as assistance with Medicare premiums or copayments.
The majority of those over age 69 who are fully Medicare and Medicaid eligible at Medicare enrollment have their Medicare Part A premiums paid by the State. This suggests that these individuals have not fully qualified for Medicare benefits based on their own or their spouse’s work history.
Newly age-eligible Medicare enrollees who receive any form of State support are more likely to have comorbidities, use health care services, and have higher Medicare payments associated with the services they use.