Medicaid participation among the eligible elderly

This study uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to address three issues: (1) what were the 1987 rates of Medicaid participation and private insurance coverage among elderly predicted to be categorically eligible and medically needy?; (2) how did these rates change between 1987 and 1992?; and (3) which factors influence insurance choices among persons who are categorically eligible for Medicaid? The 1987 Medicaid participation rates were 64 percent for the categorically eligible, but only 11 percent among the medically needy. Participation among the categorically eligible declined to 59 percent by 1992, but the difference was insignificant. In both years, about 23 percent of all categorically eligible persons had private insurance, but among those who do not participate in Medicaid, the rate rises to 48 percent.