Medicare advantage food perks fail type 2 diabetes patients
Medicare Advantage costs $83 billion more annually, promising benefits like food assistance. A new JAMA study finds it doesn't improve diabetes outcomes or food
By Foodie Pundit Newsroom - Published - Updated - Section: Food Safety
Key points
- A new study in JAMA Internal Medicine found no significant health improvements for Type 2 Diabetes patients in Medicare Advantage compared to Original Medicare.
- Despite higher costs and offering supplemental benefits like food assistance, Medicare Advantage did not reduce rates of food insecurity for its members in the study.
- The study tracked 34,648 adults and found no meaningful difference in blood sugar (HbA1c), blood pressure, or cholesterol levels after one year.
- The findings challenge the value proposition of the $83 billion in excess annual public costs associated with Medicare Advantage plans, based on health outcomes for Type 2 Diabetes patients.
- This research raises questions about the effectiveness of current food-as-medicine programs and their implementation within private healthcare plans.
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Sources and methodology
Reported from primary records. Open any source to verify a claim.