USA Today: “Medicare Advantage is a win-win, controlling costs and saving lives”

USA Today: “Medicare Advantage is a win-win, controlling costs and saving lives”  In addition to being overwhelmingly satisfied with their coverage, "Medicare Advantage patients enjoy better health outcomes despite being less well-off and older," according to a recently published USA Today column. New research cited in the column offers evidence that Medicare Advantage plans are providing better quality care than traditional, fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare on several measures. Highlights include: "Medicare Advantage patients also had shorter average hospital stays — and fewer readmissions. Compared to the fee-for-service sample, the capitated HMO sample had hospital stays that averaged 19% shorter." "One of the greatest advantages of Medicare Advantage seems to be the emphasis on healthier living and preventive care — especially the management of chronic conditions. For example, diabetes patients in the fee-for-service sample had 111 amputations per 10,000 patients; those in capitated HMO plans averaged about three amputations per 10,000 patients." "While most Medicare Advantage enrollees probably choose these plans because of the low costs, averaging just $35 per month last year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the larger benefit is better health care.”" This was not the only recent report to shine a spotlight on the high-quality care delivered by Medicare Advantage plans.  This month's issue of Health Affairs, a peer-reviewed journal, included a study on the relative quality of care delivered to patients in traditional Medicare FFS and Medicare Advantage. The Health Affairs study found that Medicare Advantage patients in HMO plans "were consistently more likely than those in traditional Medicare to receive appropriate breast cancer screening, diabetes care, and cholesterol testing for cardiovascular disease." The study also points out that patients of Medicare Advantage HMO plans in 2009 rated their physicians more favorably than patients in traditional Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans continue to build on a track-record of quality care and high satisfaction for America's seniors and Medicare beneficiaries. Want to get more involved with the Coalition for Medicare Choices? Become a fan of our page on Facebook or tell a friend about us.