Data Brief: Medicare Advantage Offers High Quality Care And Cost Protections To Racially And Ethnically Diverse Beneficiaries
Better Medicare Alliance’s latest data brief, conducted by ATI Advisory and based on 2018 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data – the most recent year available – shows Medicare Advantage’s continued strength with diverse beneficiary populations; finding that 53% of Latinx Medicare beneficiaries choose enrollment in Medicare Advantage, as do 49% of Black beneficiaries
Survey data shows that Latinx beneficiaries spend $1,113 less when enrolled in Medicare Advantage compared with Traditional Fee-for-Service (FFS) Medicare, while Black beneficiaries see average savings of $1,270.
Findings additionally depict how Medicare Advantage beneficiaries of all races and ethnicities are more medically complex than those in Traditional FFS Medicare. Between 50-52% of Black, white, and Latinx Medicare Advantage beneficiaries report more than three chronic conditions, compared with 45-48% of Traditional FFS Medicare beneficiaries.