Older adults living with dementia enrolled in similar Medicare Advantage plans compared to those without dementia

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Medicare Advantage (MA) plan selection may differ between older adults with or without dementia in unexplored ways. This study aims to characterize MA plan choice among those with dementia. METHODS: We used the 2010 to 2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study with linked Medicare enrollment data to identify MA respondents ≥ 65 years, with and without dementia. Conditional logit models examined how characteristics of MA plans affected choice. RESULTS: Among respondents overall, there were no differences between those with versus without dementia regarding how plan out-of-pocket cost, star rating, and type affected choice. Among the dual eligible group, those with versus without dementia were more likely to choose Special Needs Plans (difference in log odds: 0.804, p = 0.007). DISCUSSION: There were few differences in how MA plan characteristics affected choice among older adults with and without dementia. Older adults with dementia may make similar MA plan choices as those without.