A recent study found Medicare Advantage patients are 10 percent less likely to have avoidable hospitalizations than traditional fee-for-service Medicare patients, according to Medscape Multispecialty.
Here are four insights:
1. This 12-state study supports previous studies supporting MA beneficiaries are healthier than TM beneficiaries, according to the authors.
2. Those in favor of MA plans argue the fewer hospitalizations are because the plans focus on primary care, prevention and good care management.
3. Critics of MA plans claim the reduced hospitalizations are a product of selection bias toward healthier individuals who require fewer services.
4. While the authors contend the previous evidence yielded mixed results, this study used recent Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data from a greater number of states to estimate differences. The authors noted, "all the data that differentiated MA from TM and were fairly representative of all 50 states and the District of Columbia."
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