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The health and wellbeing of our community is of great importance. Part of how we achieve positive health outcomes is through access to health benefits and most Americans over the age of 65 receive their health insurance through Medicare (either Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan). With this in mind, it is important to understand how Medicare beneficiaries feel about their coverage and their overall health. Surveys such as the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) whose preliminary findings were released this month, aim to uncover this information. The survey was taken from a sample of Medicare beneficiaries who were living in the community in 2019 – and not in a long-term care facility.
As Medicare agents, we want to help kupuna be as healthy and happy as they possibly can with health insurance that works for them. Please contact your local Medicare agent for a free consultation.
Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey’s Preliminary Report Finds Most Medicare Beneficiaries in Good Health and Satisfied with Coverage in 2019
A preliminary report from the MCBS found that, overall, Medicare beneficiaries were in good health and were generally very satisfied with their Medicare coverage. This satisfaction extended to key metrics such as the cost of Medicare, access to medical care, and the quality of care they receive. The majority of Medicare beneficiaries living in the community reported no challenges or delays in accessing health care.
Key statistics from the survey, include:
More than 90% of respondents said they were satisfied with their medical care overall.
More than 90% of respondents said they were satisfied with their access to care.
77% of Medicare beneficiaries surveyed stated that they were in good, very good, or excellent health.
81% reported that they were in the same or better health compared to one year ago.
Less than 50% of those surveyed responded that they had one or more disabilities.
Over 25% of respondents had two or more disabilities.
More than one in five beneficiaries had a single disability.
80% of Medicare beneficiaries surveyed reported that they were satisfied with their out-of-pocket healthcare spending.
Some health challenges were uncovered in the survey, particularly when it came to the ability to perform certain activities or cognitive functions.
The most common activities that seniors reported having extreme difficulty in performing were:
Hearing
Climbing the stairs
Walking
Doing errands
The most common cognitive functions that seniors reported struggling with were:
Memory
Concentration
Decision-making
As we know, Coronavirus appeared in 2020 and has disproportionately affected our senior population. Because of this, the MCBS set up two rapid response surveys to gather information related to Medicare beneficiaries’ experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. When the 2019 MCBS Survey File is released, it will include two new segments containing COVID-19 rapid response survey data that was collected in the summer and fall of 2020. You can also view data snapshots of these reports here: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/medicare-current-beneficiary-survey-summer-2020-covid-19-data-snapshot.pdf and here https://www.cms.gov/research-statistics-data-systems/mcbs-public-use-file/medicare-current-beneficiary-survey-fall-2020-covid-19-data-snapshot.
Still, the results of this survey are encouraging: Medicare beneficiaries who are living in their communities were satisfied with their Medicare coverage and were in good health in 2019.
Our independent insurance agents are dedicated to assisting people on Medicare and those who are ready to transition from employer coverage to personal retirement coverage. We help kupuna understand their benefits options and apply for additional coverage, as needed. Because we represent all the major Medicare Advantage and supplement plans in Hawaii, we are able to offer unbiased advice; all at no cost to our clients.
At PBC, our clients are our number one priority and we look forward to getting to know you and your needs. Call us today at (808) 738-4500 to see how we may be of assistance.
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