Medicare Advantage enrollees are more likely to report delays in care than their counterparts in traditional Medicare, according to a survey from the Commonwealth Fund.
The survey, published Feb. 22, asked 3,280 adults with Medicare coverage about their experiences accessing care. Among those with MA, 22% reported waiting to receive care because it needed approval in the past year, compared to 13% with traditional Medicare.
Here are five other key findings from the survey to note:
- Seven out of 10 Medicare Advantage enrollees reported using at least one supplemental benefit in the past year. The most commonly used supplemental benefit was allowance for over-the-counter medications, followed by dental and vision benefits.
- Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare members reported similar wait times for appointments, with around 1 in 3 beneficiaries in each type of Medicare reporting they waited more than a month to see a physician in the past year.
- Around 1 in 10 MA and traditional Medicare beneficiaries reported Medicare would not cover the care they needed in the past year. A higher percentage of MA beneficiaries (12%) said they could not afford care because of a copayment or deductible in the past year, compared to those in fee-for-service Medicare (7%).
- Around half of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries reported their plans helped them schedule an annual primary care visit, eye exam, and flu or COVID vaccinations.
- MA and traditional Medicare beneficiaries reported similar rates of satisfaction with their coverage, with 65% of MA and fee-for-service beneficiaries reporting their coverage fully met their expectations.
Read the full survey here.