Dually Eligible Individuals Received 91% Of Outpatient Care From Clinical Settings Other Than FQHCs & RHCs

In 2022, people who were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicare (dual eligibles) received 91% of their outpatient care from clinical settings other than Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), according to a recent analysis. FQHCs and RHCs receive substantial safety net policy attention, the researchers stated. However, the study found that other outpatient clinics often serve dually eligible individuals and should not be excluded from safety net policy considerations. A lower use of outpatient specialty care suggests that dually eligible individuals may face barriers to seeing medical specialists until they are sick enough to require . . .