Do dual eligible beneficiaries experience better health care in special needs plans?

Objective Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D‐SNPs) were intended to provide better care for beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid through better coordination of these two programs. Data Sources 671 913 dual eligible (DE) respondents to the 2009‐2019 Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. Study Design We compared the 2015‐2019 experiences of DE beneficiaries in D‐SNPs relative to fee‐for‐service Medicare (FFS) and non‐SNP Medicare Advantage (MA) using propensity‐score weighted linear regression. Comparisons were made to 2009‐2014. 12 patient experience measures were considered. Data Collection Methods Annual mail survey with telephone follow‐up of non‐respondents. Principal Findings More than 65% of DE beneficiaries enrolled in FFS. Of 12 measures, D‐SNP performance was higher than non‐SNP MA on two (P