Study: Medicare Advantage Members Are More Likely to Use Biosimilars

January 18

Biosimilar uptake is higher for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries than their traditional Medicare (TM) counterparts, with MA members up to 2.3 times more likely to be prescribed a biosimilar, according to new research published in JAMA Health Forum. The FDA has approved 45 biosimilars so far, with more approvals expected this year.

Researchers from CMS, the FDA and policy research firm Acumen LLC studied claims and encounter data to calculate market share for 20 biosimilars across seven product categories. Biosimilar uptake was higher for MA members in every category but bevacizumab, the generic name for Genentech’s targeted cancer therapy Avastin. Avastin currently has four biosimilars available, with a fifth approved last month.

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Radar on Medicare Advantage

Carina Belles

Carina has been covering public-sector health care since 2018. As a data reporter for Radar on Medicare Advantage, she creates infographics and data stories on issues impacting Medicare, Medicaid and Part D. She also develops AIS Health Daily, a free daily newsletter that showcases AIS’s strong reporting across our four publications and parent company Norstella’s suite of market access and data solutions. Prior to joining the editorial team, she managed Medicare and Medicaid data for the Directory of Health Plans, AIS’s industry-standard health coverage database. She graduated from Ohio University with a B.S. in Journalism.