Featured Infographic   In Member Satisfaction and Quality, Few Differences Exist Between Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare   There is limited evidence to suggest any major differences exist between Medicare Advantage and traditional, fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare when measuring beneficiary satisfaction, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s (KFF) recent literature review of 62 studies comparing the two programs. Nor did either program consistently stand out across quality measures. There were also few differences in length of hospital stays for common ailments or aggregate days spent in inpatient care between the two groups.   There were some measurable differences between the two programs, however. In general, MA members were more likely to access preventive care, such as wellness visits and annual flu shots, and more often reported having a usual source of care. They also fared better on some utilization measures, reporting lower rates of home health, inpatient rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility use. Traditional Medicare enrollees, meanwhile, were more likely to be treated in facilities with high quality ratings. Notably, traditional Medicare enrollees with supplemental coverage reported fewer cost-related difficulties than MA members.   In the discussion of their findings, researchers said that as the number of seniors choosing MA continues to rise, there is mounting interest in measuring how well private coverage is able to serve Medicare beneficiaries. For the 2023 plan year, KFF projects that for the first time, more than half of all Medicare eligibles will be enrolled in an MA plan. Nearly 30 million people were enrolled in Medicare Advantage as of September 2022, according to AIS’s Directory of Health Plans. The 2023 Annual Election Period will begin on Oct. 15.

SOURCE: “Beneficiary Experience, Affordability, Utilization, and Quality in Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare: A Review of the Literature,” Kaiser Family Foundation, Sept. 16, 2022. DHP, AIS’s Directory of Health Plans.   From Radar on Medicare Advantage Learn more about subscribing to AIS Health's publications.