The Medicare-Medicaid contracts will go live on January 1, 2026, and run through December 31, 2029, with extensions of up to five years and six months. The contracts are worth nearly $12 billion total.
UnitedHealthcare and Health Care Service Corp. (Blue Cross Blue Shield) also submitted bids for the new contracts.
Illinois is transitioning its Medicare-Medicaid Alignment Initiative (MMAI) program to a fully integrated D-SNP model, which must still be approved by CMS. The state plans to add managed long-term services and support (MLTSS) in 2027. In 2024, there were more than 95,000 people enrolled in the MMAI program and 60,000 in the MLTSS program.
“Individuals dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid often have complex health care needs, making coordination of benefits essential to their physical and mental health,” Jason Smith, vice president, Duals Markets at Aetna, told Becker’s. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the state of Illinois to provide dually eligible members with an integrated health plan that coordinates medical, behavioral health and social care for members, while simplifying their health care experience.”
“We are proud of our Fully Integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (FIDE-SNP) proposal, which demonstrates our capabilities and commitment to health care for all members who are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare services,” a spokesperson for BCBS Illinois told Becker’s. “We will continue serving our Medicare-Medicaid Alignment Initiative (MMAI) program members until the contract expires on Dec. 31, 2025. As we have served Illinoisans for more than 89 years, we will continue to serve our more than 700,000 Illinois Medicaid members and will further pursue additional opportunities to provide health coverage in every community, regardless of an individual’s health status or economic circumstances.”