Most doctors say Medicare Advantage cuts would harm seniors; Satisfaction
with Medicare health plans rises
WASHINGTON, March 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thirty-five percent of
seniors - including 62 percent of low-income seniors - enrolled in Medicare
Advantage say they would skip some of the health care treatments they
currently receive if the option of choosing a Medicare health plan is taken
away, while three-fourths of physicians believe that seniors will be harmed
if Congress cuts the Medicare Advantage program.
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These are among the key findings of two new surveys released today by
America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). The survey of Medicare Advantage
beneficiaries and a companion survey of physicians who treat Medicare
beneficiaries illustrate the critical role Medicare health plans play in
the health security of more than 8 million seniors.
"Seniors and their physicians agree that Medicare Advantage is a vital
health coverage option," said Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of AHIP. "As
members of Congress engage in budget discussions, they will be hearing from
their low-income and minority constituents who count on the essential
benefits and lower out-of-pocket costs Medicare health plans provide."
The survey of seniors who are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan was
conducted by Ayres, McHenry & Associates, Inc. and The Glover Park Group.
The poll found very high and growing satisfaction among Medicare health
plan enrollees. Ninety percent of beneficiaries expressed satisfaction with
their Medicare Advantage coverage, an increase over the 84 percent who were
satisfied in a similar 2003 survey. The survey also found high and growing
satisfaction for individual aspects of Medicare Advantage coverage,
including quality of care, benefits, preventive care, out-of-pocket costs,
and prescription drug coverage.
"This record high satisfaction suggests that this fast-growing group of
seniors will be increasingly engaged as Congress debates health and budget
issues," said Joel Johnson, a partner at The Glover Park Group.
A survey of physicians who treat Medicare beneficiaries was conducted
by Ayres, McHenry & Associates, Inc. The poll examined doctors' attitudes
toward Medicare Advantage and the likely effect that cuts to the program
would have on seniors. According to the survey, 74 percent of doctors say
cuts to the program would have a negative effect on seniors with only 16
percent saying it would have no real effect. In addition, the vast majority
of doctors say Congress should cut other programs or raise taxes, rather
than cut Medicare Advantage.
"Physicians who care for seniors clearly believe that cutting Medicare
Advantage will harm their patients," said Dr. Q. Whitfield Ayres, President
of Ayres, McHenry & Associates, Inc.
Key findings of the two surveys include:
* Forty-two percent of seniors say they would pay higher out-of-pocket
costs if the option of choosing a Medicare Advantage plan was taken away
* Three-fifths of seniors cited either better benefits or lower costs as
their reason for joining a Medicare Advantage plan
* Ninety percent of beneficiaries are satisfied with their Medicare
Advantage coverage overall, up from 84 percent who expressed
satisfaction in AHIP's 2003 survey
* Enrolled seniors are increasingly satisfied with individual aspects of
Medicare Advantage coverage compared to the 2003 survey, including
quality of care received (93 to 89 percent), benefits received
(89 to 79 percent), preventive care (87 to 78 percent), out-of-pocket
costs (80 to 74 percent), and prescription drug coverage
(76 to 57 percent), the largest improvement seen
* Three-quarters of physicians believe that making cuts to the Medicare
Advantage program would have a negative effect on the seniors enrolled
in the program
* By a two-to-one margin, doctors say Medicare Part D has helped seniors
get the prescription drugs they need
The new polls follow a recent AHIP analysis of data from the Medicare
Current Beneficiary Survey, which found that low-income and minority
seniors benefit the most from the added benefits available in Medicare
Advantage plans. Forty-nine percent of all beneficiaries enrolled in
Medicare Advantage in 2004 had incomes of less than $20,000. Moreover, 68
percent of minority Medicare Advantage enrollees had incomes below $20,000.
The data also show that Medicare Advantage beneficiaries reported greater
use of preventive care services than those with Medicare fee-for-service
alone.
The complete surveys and summaries of findings are available at
http://www.ahip.org.
America's Health Insurance Plans - Providing Health Benefits to More
Than 200 Million Americans
SOURCE America's Health Insurance Plans
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