Logo image
Back
Medicare Advantage Enrollment by Immigration and English Proficiency Status
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Medicare Advantage Enrollment by Immigration and English Proficiency Status

Sungchul Park
The American journal of managed care, v 29(9), pp e280-e283
01 Sep 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2023.89432

Abstract

Beneficiaries Cardiovascular disease Chronic illnesses Decision making Education Ethnicity Expenditures Family income Health care policy Immigrants Immigration policy Medicaid Medicare Population Secondary schools Self report Socioeconomic factors Trends Variables
ABSTRACT Objectives: Complex Medicare Advantage (MA) health plan choices may overwhelm immigrants, especially for those facing decision-making constraints due to limited English proficiency (LEP). Am J Manag Care. 2023;29(9):e280-e283. https://doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2023.89432 _____ Takeaway Points This study showed differences in Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment by immigration and English proficiency status. * MA enrollment was higher among immigrants than US-born residents, but the highest enrollment was found among immigrants with limited English proficiency (LEP). * MA enrollment was even higher among immigrants with LEP who had better reported health status. * We found no consistent enrollment patterns by socioeconomic status. * Understanding the overall trends and patterns of MA enrollment among immigrants is of high policy relevance, as the immigrant population is aging faster than the US-born population. _____ Overall, Medicare Advantage (MA) offers lower premiums, more benefits, and limits on out-of-pocket spending compared with traditional Medicare. MA enrollment has grown rapidly over the past decade, with much of this growth driven by socially marginalized populations.1,2 Medicare beneficiaries had access to a mean of 39 MA plans in 2022, and plans have substantial variations in costs, coverage, and quality.1 Thus, choosing among MA plans could be challenging for some Medicare beneficiaries, especially for those facing decision-making constraints.3 Immigrants are a marginalized population that regularly underuses health care due to limited eligibility and exclusion from public health insurance, lack of familiarity with the US health care system, and linguistic barriers.4,5 Limited English proficiency (LEP) is of interest because more than half of first-generation immigrants report LEP.6 LEP is a barrier to accessing high-quality care, communicating with clinicians and providers, and understanding and making informed health care choices.

Metrics

17 Record Views
5 citations in Scopus

Details

Logo image