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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health has recently released data detailing the quality of care received by people with Medicare Advantage by racial or ethnic groups. Based on the analysis from two sources, researchers analyzed how well the needs of Medicare beneficiaries are met for a variety of medical issues, several of which are disproportionately felt by the Latino population such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung disease.
“This is the first time that CMS has released Medicare Advantage data stratified by race and ethnicity. Increasing understanding and awareness of disparities and their causes is the first step of our path to equity,” said Dr. Cara James, director of the CMS Office of Minority Health. “While these data do not tell us why differences exist, they show where we have problems and can help spur efforts to understand what can be done to reduce or eliminate these differences.”
The data shows some of the differing attitudes that racial and ethnic groups have toward their quality of care (measured both by patient experience and clinical care measures).
“These data are a good first step in understanding disparities in Medicare Advantage,” said Sean Cavanaugh, CMS deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicare. “We look forward to working with plans in closing the differences in the quality of care that people with Medicare Advantage receive.”
Latinos reported their health care experiences as being similar to or worse than the experiences reported by Whites. This data can help to highlight and understand the racial and ethnic disparities that occur within healthcare.
Read the report here.
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By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
