JAMA Network Open: Care Quality for MA versus TM Enrollees Receiving Chemotherapy

  1. MA enrollees had less chemotherapy-related Emergency Department use than TM beneficiaries: 20.9% in MA vs 23.4% in TM.
  2. MA enrollees had fewer chemotherapy-related hospitalizations: 12.8% in MA vs 13.6% in TM
  3. MA beneficiaries had higher avoidable Emergency Department use than TM beneficiaries: 11.0% in MA vs 10.5% in TM
  4. MA and TM had similar rates of preventable hospitalizations: 4.5% for each
  5. There was no difference in survival during 18 months after chemotherapy initiation: 525 days in both MA and TM
Notes: MA: Medicare Advantage; TM: traditional Medicare. Results from a study of cohort study of 96,501 MA and 206,274 TM beneficiaries receiving chemotherapy. Mean outcomes were measured during the 6-month period following the first chemotherapy treatment, or until death if it occurred earlier.

Source: "Resource Use and Care Quality Differences Among Medicare Beneficiaries Undergoing Chemotherapy," JAMA Network Open, September 20, 2024 - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2823851