Disparities in Surgical Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries

A recent study by researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School highlights disparities in surgical outcomes among Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare (TM) beneficiaries. The retrospective analysis covered over 1.6 million beneficiaries aged 65 and older who underwent common abdominal surgeries between 2016 and 2020, such as appendectomies and hernia repairs. The study utilized propensity score-weighted analyses to assess Black-White and Hispanic-White disparities, focusing on in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, postoperative complications, and readmission rates.

The findings reveal that MA enrollment did not alter Black-White disparities in postoperative outcomes. However, MA reduced 30-day mortality and postoperative complication disparities between Hispanic and White patients compared to TM. Specifically, 30-day mortality differences decreased by 0.83 percentage points, and postoperative complications dropped by 1.24 percentage points for MA beneficiaries. No significant differences were noted in readmission rates between MA and TM enrollees.

Researchers suggest that MA plan characteristics might partially explain these disparity reductions, though not consistently across all racial/ethnic groups. The study advocates further exploration into referral processes, care management practices, and cost-sharing mechanisms impacting perioperative outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities. This research, published in The American Journal of Managed Care, includes contributions from Nick Kunnath, Erin E. Isenberg, Andrew M. Ibrahim, and Renuka Tipirneni. For more details, contact the University of Michigan Medical School or consult the journal directly.