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Stroke Expert Eyes Role of Medicare Plans in Shaping Stroke Care
After identifying significant differences in stroke care and outcomes for patients on different Medicare plans, a UVA Health doctor is launching an ambitious effort to better understand the sources of those differences and ensure patients get the best care possible.
UVA neurologist Jonathan R. Crowe, MD, MPH, MSc, notes that Medicare pays for three-quarters of all stroke care in America – more than $2 billion annually. He aims to identify the policies that shape the stroke treatment and recovery Medicare patients receive and to mine Medicare and American Heart Association data to determine specific areas where care access differs between traditional, “fee-for-service” Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurers.
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In his prior work, Crowe and his colleagues found that some patients with Medicare Advantage insurance were more likely to have access to certain types of stroke-preventing care, and they tended to recover more quickly from strokes than patients on traditional Medicare. These patients were also less likely to be readmitted to the hospital, and they were more likely to live in the community following a stroke.
Patients on traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D plans, on the other hand, were more likely to receive intensive post-stroke care and rehabilitation than those enrolled in the Advantage plan, which incentivizes private insurers to limit more expensive medical care.
...snip...
UVA neurologist Jonathan R. Crowe, MD, MPH, MSc, notes that Medicare pays for three-quarters of all stroke care in America – more than $2 billion annually. He aims to identify the policies that shape the stroke treatment and recovery Medicare patients receive and to mine Medicare and American Heart Association data to determine specific areas where care access differs between traditional, “fee-for-service” Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurers.
...snip...
In his prior work, Crowe and his colleagues found that some patients with Medicare Advantage insurance were more likely to have access to certain types of stroke-preventing care, and they tended to recover more quickly from strokes than patients on traditional Medicare. These patients were also less likely to be readmitted to the hospital, and they were more likely to live in the community following a stroke.
Patients on traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D plans, on the other hand, were more likely to receive intensive post-stroke care and rehabilitation than those enrolled in the Advantage plan, which incentivizes private insurers to limit more expensive medical care.
...snip...
It's going to be interesting to see what a large study shows. It seems to me that it is the outcomes that matter more than the methods. I also wonder if those who select an Advantage plan are healthier on average than those who select the traditional Medicare.