“Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries Log Almost 30% Fewer SNF Days Than Traditional Medicare,” by Maggie Flynn, Skilled Nursing News

 

 

Quote:

“A new report comparing health outcomes for beneficiaries of Medicare Advantage (MA) and those on traditional fee-for-service Medicare put hard numbers to the differences in skilled nursing facility stays between the two groups. The findings show that MA beneficiaries spend far fewer days in SNFs than those covered by traditional Medicare. Specifically, SNF stays were 29% lower per 1,000 MA members, compared with those enrolled in traditional fee-for-service Medicare. … BMA is an organization that supports MA with a range of stakeholders. … According to the analysis, high-need, high-cost MA beneficiaries had lower rates of post-acute utilization in all settings, compared with those in traditional Medicare. SNF days were 16% to 41% lower in MA, compared with traditional Medicare across all high-need, high-cost populations, the report found.”

LTC Comment:

Does this mean Medicare Advantage policies keep beneficiaries out of a nursing home or that MA benes can’t get skilled nursing when they need it? Always best to be a little skeptical of “reports” from trade associations representing “stakeholders.”