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Under Medicare, women get better care for lung disease, rheumatoid arthritis, men better care for addiction services
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Significant disparities exist in care received under Medicare Advantage based on gender, race and ethnicity, as outlined in to two reports released by the CMS Office of Minority Health, according to a press release.
“This is the first time that CMS has released Medicare Advantage data on racial and ethnic disparities in care separately for women and men. Showing the data this way helps us to understand the intersection between a person’s race, ethnicity, and gender and their health care,” said Cara James, PhD, director of the CMS Office of Minority Health.
The two reports are based on an analysis of information scores from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set and the Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey that were received between 2014 and 2015.
The first report showed significant gender differences among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in the quality of treatment for certain conditions, according to the release. Specifically, compared with men, women were more likely to receive better care for chronic lung disease and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as appropriate follow-up care after hospitalizations for a mental health disorder. However, men were more likely than women to receive timely treatment for alcohol or drug dependence. Women also had an increased likelihood of being prescribed potentially harmful medications for individuals with certain conditions, including dementia.
The second report revealed that among black and white Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, there were greater differences for men than women in the rates of colorectal cancer screening and treatment and management of chronic lung disease, acute myocardial infarction and rheumatoid arthritis.
According to CMS, these reports should be used to develop interventions to reduce the gender, racial and ethnic disparities in health care experiences and clinical care among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.
Disclosure: Healio Internal Medicine was unable to confirm relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.