How Medicare Advantage, traditional Medicare differ on end-of-life care

Becker's Healthcare July 24, 2024
Rylee Wilson

Medicare Advantage enrollees were less likely to receive burdensome treatments or transfers in the last months of life compared to their peers in traditional Medicare, a study published July 19 in JAMA Health Forum found.

MA beneficiaries were less likely to die in a hospital than their counterparts in traditional Medicare, the study found. MA enrollees were more likely to receive home-based care at the end-of-life. This home-based care can improve quality but can also leave patients without adequate assistance after a hospitalization, the study’s authors wrote.

Though Medicare Advantage beneficiaries were less likely to be hospitalized during the last months of life than their counterparts in traditional Medicare, once hospitalized, MA enrollees were more likely to die...

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