Does dual enrollment in VA and Medicare advantage plans improve or fragment care?

The number of individuals enrolled in both Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system nearly doubled from 2004 to 2009, and such dual enrollees are expected to increase in number following the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Because both the VA and MA are federally funded managed care systems, expenditures are duplicated for individuals who are dually enrolled.

A new Health Services Research study has found that while dual use does not appear to erode quality of care, there's also no evidence that it improves it.

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