More than 12 million people in the U.S. are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, a population that often has significant health and social needs and high related costs. A small, but growing, percentage of this population is enrolled in integrated programs that coordinate Medicare and Medicaid service delivery. To develop and operate an integrated care model, state Medicaid and partner agency staff must develop knowledge of Medicare’s evolving landscape of policies, regulations, and market activity. However, they often have limited access to Medicare-focused information and training.

The Medicare Academy, led by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) with support from Arnold Ventures, The Commonwealth Fund, and The SCAN Foundation, is a multi-state training program designed to help Medicaid and partner agency staff build the Medicare knowledge needed to successfully advance integration goals. The eight-month academy is currently supporting nine states and one U.S. territory — Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Tennessee — that are developing or refining varying integration models and bring different levels of Medicare knowledge into the program.

Academy curriculum and training materials focus on the practical Medicare knowledge most needed by states. Following completion of the academy, participants are better positioned to make meaningful changes to their integration policies and processes and build the infrastructure needed to sustain Medicare capacity over time.

Now in its third year, 19 states from across the country have participated in this unique learning opportunity launched in 2022. Past participants include California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington State, and Wisconsin.