Recently proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage make it even more important to preserve the high-quality care and satisfaction that seniors have with the program. More Medicare beneficiaries are choosing Medicare Advantage, and a new national survey from Morning Consult shows that those seniors give thumbs up when it comes to their coverage. It’s no surprise that seniors value the affordability, additional benefits, and broader choice that Medicare Advantage provides.
The survey found that 88 percent of seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage are highly satisfied with their MA plan. Eighty percent of Medicare Advantage enrollees are satisfied with costs, compared with just 68 percent of seniors in FFS Medicare. Eighty-eight percent of MA enrollees are satisfied with preventive care coverage, compared with 75 percent of FFS Medicare beneficiaries. And as the graph below illustrates, 81 percent of MA enrollees are satisfied with their prescription drug coverage, well above the 54 percent of satisfied FFS Medicare seniors.
We know that Medicare Advantage remains a critical lifeline for minority beneficiaries, with more than 40 percent of Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries and 30 percent of African-American Medicare beneficiaries having chosen Medicare Advantage. Those populations, according to the Morning Consult survey, are overwhelmingly satisfied with their choice (91 percent of African Americans, and 85 percent Hispanic seniors are satisfied with their Medicare Advantage plans. Despite the popularity of Medicare Advantage, further cuts to the program will lead to higher costs, fewer benefits, and limited health care choices for beneficiaries – and that’s nothing to be satisfied about.
New data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) show that Medicare Advantage plans were a vital source of coverage for low-income and minority beneficiaries in 2010. Here are some key findings:
*Nationwide, 26 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. Twenty-nine (29) percent of African-American Medicare beneficiaries and 36 percent of Hispanic beneficiaries were enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans.
*Forty-three (43) percent of Medicare beneficiaries with Medicare Advantage plans had incomes below $20,000. By comparison, 39 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries had incomes below $20,000.
*Sixty-four (64) percent of all minority (Nonwhite) beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage in 2010 had incomes below $20,000; 64 percent of African-American and 82 percent of Hispanic Medicare Advantage beneficiaries had incomes below $20,000. By comparison, 39 percent of White Medicare Advantage enrollees had incomes below $20,000.
For more information on Health Insurance for seniors and complete coverage, contact us today! All appointments are free.