Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare plans have similar rates of satisfaction with care and overall care coordination among beneficiaries, a review, published Sept. 16, of 62 studies comparing the plans found.
The review, by researchers at Kaiser Family Foundation, found few differences between the two types of coverage that are supported by strong evidence or were replicated across multiple studies. Neither plan consistently performed better across all quality measures.
The review did identify some differences between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare plans that were supported by the literature.
Medicare Advantage enrollees were more likely to have a usual source of care and more likely to receive preventive care services than those with traditional Medicare. These enrollees also reported better experiences accessing prescription drugs. A larger share of people with Medicare Advantage reported experiencing a cost-related problem than those with traditional Medicare.
Those with traditional Medicare were more likely to use home health services and post-acute skilled nursing facilities and were more likely to receive care from top-rated hospitals for cancer treatment and top-rated skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies.
Read the full review here.