FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2016
Contact: CMS Media Relations
(202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries
CMS releases Medicare Advantage
quality data for racial and ethnic minorities
Data is first of annual releases on
disparities in Medicare Advantage plans
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Office of Minority Health released data detailing the quality of care received
by people with Medicare Advantage by racial or ethnic group.
“This is the first time that CMS has released Medicare Advantage
data stratified by race and ethnicity. Increasing understanding and
awareness of disparities and their causes is the first step of our path to
equity,” said Dr. Cara James, director of the CMS Office of Minority Health.
“While these data do not tell us why differences exist, they show where we have
problems and can help spur efforts to understand what can be done to reduce or
eliminate these differences.”
The data are based on an analysis of two sources of
information. The first is part of the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and
Information Set (HEDIS). HEDIS collects information from medical records and
administrative data on how well the needs of Medicare beneficiaries are met for
a variety of medical issues, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and
chronic lung disease. The second part is the Medicare Consumer Assessment
of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Survey, which is conducted
annually by CMS. CAHPS focuses on the health care experiences of Medicare
beneficiaries across the nation.
The database presents HEDIS and CAHPS scores for different racial
and ethnic groups at the level of individual Medicare contracts and is intended
to be used to improve quality and accountability. The information provided by
this database is not used to evaluate care through the star ratings program
Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings program nor is not it used for
payment purposes.
“These data are a good first step in understanding disparities in
Medicare Advantage,” said Sean Cavanaugh, CMS deputy administrator and director
of the Center for Medicare. “We look forward to working with plans in closing
the differences in the quality of care that people with Medicare Advantage
receive.”
A report summarizing the data accompanied the release. Analysis of
the quality of care delivered to beneficiaries showed that Asians and Pacific
Islanders typically received care that is similar to or better than the care
received by Whites, whereas African Americans and Hispanics typically received
care that is similar to or worse than the care received by Whites. African
Americans and Hispanics also reported their health care experiences as being
similar to or worse than the experiences reported by Whites. This data help to
highlight the racial and ethnic disparities that occur within healthcare.
The data and summary report can be viewed at: https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/OMH-DPAG-StatisticsAndData.html
Other Helpful websites:
CMS Press Release here: https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Press-releases/2016-Press-releases-items/2016-04-19.html
Disparities Guide -https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/Downloads/Health-Disparities-Guide.pdf
National Summary Report (PDF): https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/Downloads/National-Level-Results.pdf
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office
of Minority Health (OMH) was established as a result of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and works to eliminate
health disparities and improve the health of all minority populations,
including racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, members of
the LGBT community, and rural populations.
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