Diabetic patients with Medicare benefit plans more likely to have poorer health, study finds
image: Utibe Essien, MD, MPH see again Credit: University of Pittsburgh PITTSBURGH, July 7, 2022 – While patients with diabetes on the Medicare Advantage plan are more likely to receive preventative care, they are less likely to be prescribed new, more expensive drugs and more likely to have high blood pressure and poorer blood glucose control than patients on the Cost plan Medicare-For-Services, according to a new study led by physician-scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The study, published today in Diabetes Treatment, raised the red flag that – despite increasing access to preventative care – rapid growth in Medicare Advantage registrants could signal a trend toward poorer health outcomes and gaps in care when compared to their Medicare Fee-For-Service counterparts. “Preventive care is not enough to prevent patients from utilizing the healthcare system in the future,” said lead author Utibe Essien