‘I Don’t Know What I’d Do Without It’: How Medicare Advantage Helps Seniors Stay Healthy and Out of the Hospital
Medicare Advantage beneficiaries already know that their plans help keep them healthy, independent, and out of the hospital. Now new research is backing this up, showing Medicare Advantage delivers more preventive care and better health outcomes across populations.
A new analysis by Berkeley Research Group finds that Black, Hispanic, and Asian American/Pacific Islander beneficiaries receive higher rates of preventive health screenings and primary care services and lower rates of avoidable inpatient services in Medicare Advantage compared to similar beneficiaries in traditional Fee-for-Service Medicare.
Better Prevention and Primary Care
Using complete Medicare data comparing similar beneficiaries in both programs, researchers found Medicare Advantage consistently outperforms traditional Fee-for-Service Medicare:
- Higher screening rates: Hispanic Medicare Advantage beneficiaries received cardiovascular screenings at rates 9% higher and breast cancer screenings 12% higher than their Fee-for-Service counterparts, with significant advantages also seen among Black and Asian American/Pacific Islander beneficiaries.
- More Annual Wellness Visits: Medicare Advantage beneficiaries receive these important check-ups at higher rates than Fee-for-Service beneficiaries. Rates were 19% higher for Black beneficiaries; 21% higher for Hispanic beneficiaries; and 9% higher for Asian American/Pacific Islander beneficiaries.
- Better hospital follow-up: Black and Hispanic Medicare Advantage beneficiaries had primary care follow-up within seven days after discharge — a critical period for preventing complications— at higher rates, 41% and 35% respectively.
Reducing Hospitalizations Through Coordinated Care
Medicare Advantage’s emphasis on care coordination is keeping seniors healthier and reducing avoidable hospital visits. The analysis found:
- Lower readmissions: Hospital readmission rates were 38% to 43% lower for Medicare Advantage enrollees across all three populations.
- Fewer avoidable hospitalizations: Hispanic and Black Medicare Advantage beneficiaries experienced 12% and 6% fewer potentially avoidable hospitalizations, respectively.
- Reduced emergency visits: Non-emergent emergency department visits were lower for Hispanic (6%) and Asian American/Pacific Islander (10%) Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.
Seniors Share How Medicare Advantage Keeps Them Healthier
To learn more about the impact of preventive care in Medicare Advantage, Better Medicare Alliance informally surveyed our network of beneficiaries across the country. More than 800 seniors responded with their stories of positive results from more preventive care.
The value of the preventive care provided by Medicare Advantage was “immeasurable,” said Sandra M. of Atlanta, Georgia, and allowed Darla B. of Houston, Texas, to “be more proactive about my health.”
Mason S. of Alanta, Georgia, said Medicare Advantage “made it possible to catch anything at an early stage.”
For many seniors, this access to preventive care is life changing. Louisa R. of Spring Hill, Florida, shared:
“My doctor listens to all my concerns… He helps me understand and find a solution to each of them.”
And Nancy J. of Eutawville, South Carolina, added:
“My access to health screenings meant a lot — especially from caring people.”
Debra R. of Coldwater, Michigan, says her Medicare Advantage plan has helped her stay ahead of serious health issues:
“My doctor made sure my diabetes is under control, that I was updated on all shots, and that my kidneys weren’t worsening. I’m in stage 3 kidney failure.”
Joyce L. of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, puts it simply: “I don’t know what I’d do without Medicare Advantage.”
A Vital Pathway to Better Care
Today, more than 34 million Americans — over half of all Medicare beneficiaries — choose Medicare Advantage. That includes seniors like Charlene A. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who has faced multiple surgeries but credits her Medicare Advantage plan for helping her afford the care she needs.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have Medicare advantage. It has really helped me. I’ve had to have a knee replaced; I’ve had to have a hip replaced. Seniors have lost so much, and it’s getting so hard for us to make ends meet, to take care of our prescriptions, and Medicare Advantage has allowed us to be able to do that. They’ve kept the cost down minimally, and I love my providers that I’ve got on Medicare Advantage.”
Read the full report here.