Dive Brief:
- CMS' Office of Minority Health released data this week that examine differences in quality of care received by Medicare Advantage beneficiaries according to their racial or ethnic group.
- The agency said this marks the first time CMS has provided Medicare Advantage data stratified by race and ethnicity, and indicated the data will now be released annually.
- The analysis concluded Asians and Pacific Islanders typically received care "similar to or better than the care received by Whites," whereas African Americans and Hispanics typically received care "similar to or worse than the care received by Whites."
Dive Insight:
Although the data doesn't explain why such differences in quality exist, "They show where we have problems and can help spur efforts to understand what can be done to reduce or eliminate these differences,” Dr. Cara James, director of the Office of Minority Health, stated in the announcement.
The data adds to recent literature of healthcare disparities based on race and ethnicity. A recent Kaiser Permanente study of 7.5 million adults that showed variation in diagnoses and treatment of mental health conditions based on race and ethnicity, where Native Americans/Alaskan natives had the highest diagnoses rate of mental health conditions (20.6%) and Asians the lowest rate (7.5%).
The analysis uses data from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), which looks at medical records and administrative data to gaugue how effectively Medicare beneficiaries' needs are being met. It also uses data from the Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey, which reviews Medicare beneficiaries' experiences.
CMS notes the information will be used to improve quality and accountability, but not for star ratings or payment purposes.
“These data are a good first step in understanding disparities in Medicare Advantage,” Sean Cavanaugh, CMS deputy administrator, stated. “We look forward to working with plans in closing the differences in the quality of care that people with Medicare Advantage receive.”