New Findings Show Strength of MA in Detecting, Treating Type 2 Diabetes
New research conducted by Avalere on behalf of the Better Medicare Alliance (BMA) suggests Medicare Advantage plans aid in earlier detection of type 2 diabetes and that seniors diagnosed with type 2 diabetes generally fare better than similar patients in fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare. Specifically, lower medical spending and rates of inpatient hospitalizations/emergency department visits observed by researchers may be particularly compelling for policymakers as they consider the overall value of the MA program.
With MA serving more seniors than ever before — having just reached a milestone of enrolling more than 30 million Medicare-eligible beneficiaries — and one-third of seniors estimated to have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, it is important to look at how these patients’ care differs in MA vs. traditional Medicare, asserted Matt Kazan, managing director with Avalere, during a Jan. 12 webinar hosted by BMA. In many cases, there are “major differences,” he noted.