With respect to this statement, "These findings are significant at the bivariate level; however, we were unable to generate reliable multivariate estimates comparing cost-related problems by race for the subgroup of beneficiaries in fair or poor health by coverage type (i.e., Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare) due to sample size limitations."An unfortunate truth that is often ignored by those who have enjoyed good health . . . for those that find humor at the inability to pay MA copays & coinsurance
The likelihood of having problems paying medical bills or debt was significantly higher for older adults with Medicare Advantage than those with traditional Medicare. Differences in the percent with medical bill or debt problems were significant among those with income between 200 percent and 399 percent of FPL and not statistically significant for those with higher or lower incomes.
Medicare’s Affordability Problem: A Look at the Cost Burdens Faced by Older Enrollees
This brief examines the financial burden of care that people 65 and older face, and how it differs for people with traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage.www.commonwealthfund.org
Among White Medicare beneficiaries under age 65, the rate of cost-related problems was higher among Medicare Advantage enrollees (48%) than among traditional Medicare beneficiaries with supplemental coverage (36%). In contrast to patterns observed for other findings, a larger share of White beneficiaries than Black beneficiaries in traditional Medicare who are under age 65 with disabilities reported cost-related problems, both overall (43% versus 26%) and among those with supplemental coverage (36% versus 19%). This may be because Black beneficiaries are more likely to be dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, which provides relatively comprehensive supplemental coverage. These findings are significant at the bivariate level; however, we were unable to generate reliable multivariate estimates comparing cost-related problems by race for the subgroup of beneficiaries in fair or poor health by coverage type (i.e., Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare) due to sample size limitations.
Cost-Related Problems Are Less Common Among Beneficiaries in Traditional Medicare Than in Medicare Advantage, Mainly Due to Supplemental Coverage | KFF
This analysis examines health care cost-related problems among Medicare beneficiaries, comparing beneficiaries in traditional Medicare, including those with and without supplemental coverage, to those in Medicare Advantage, with a focus on racial equity. We compare rates of cost-related problems...www.kff.org
Choosing between the two (MA or Medigap) requires careful consideration of your finances and health needs. And Advantage plans can carry hidden risks, especially for people with major health issues.
“Some people in Medicare Advantage end up paying unexpectedly high costs when they become ill or find their network lacks the providers they need,” says Tricia Neuman, senior vice president at Kaiser.
Cost-Related Problems Are Less Common Among Beneficiaries in Traditional Medicare Than in Medicare Advantage, Mainly Due to Supplemental Coverage | KFF
This analysis examines health care cost-related problems among Medicare beneficiaries, comparing beneficiaries in traditional Medicare, including those with and without supplemental coverage, to those in Medicare Advantage, with a focus on racial equity. We compare rates of cost-related problems...
If they controlled for socioeconomic status in their analysis anything left could include race related "causes". Since they didn't include that important variable (where the other study you posted included how percent of poverty line affects the ability to pay for medical care) of course they couldn't find anything by race. A higher percentage of blacks are poor even though there are more poor white people (because there are more white people in this country) this affects statistical outcomes when looking for race differences where socioeconomic status might influence that. In this context this means a higher percentage of Blacks (but not raw numbers as there are more poor whites than blacks)get medicare with medicaid with helps mitigate medical financial issues. What happens is socioeconomic status and race can be confounded.
An example (not in health care) of how this works is that the company that offers the SAT college entrance tests took the entire population of test takers. Looking just at race, Blacks scored lower than Whites on the SAT. One might presume somehow the test is biased. When socioeconomic status was entered into the equation, race differences went away (which makes sense as richer kids of any race are in better schools and are more likely to take test prep classes, etc.). Because the percentage of Blacks who are poor are higher than the percentage of Whites, and poor kids score lower, without also including socioeconomic status race becomes the proxy for socioeconomic status.
