A new study of older adults with Type 2 diabetes found that enrolling in Medicare Advantage did not produce better health outcomes than remaining in traditional Medicare. The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, followed about 35,000 adults over 3½ years and examined whether switching coverage affected measures commonly used to track diabetes management.
The findings arrive as Medicare Advantage continues to expand across the United States. The privately administered plans now cover about 55 percent of Medicare beneficiaries and frequently include benefits not offered through traditional Medicare, such as dental care, vision services, transportation assistance, grocery allowances and fitness programs. According to Newsweek, the study raises questions about whether those added benefits translate into measurable improvements for people managing chronic disease.
Researchers Found Little Change in Key Health Measures
Researchers examined hemoglobin A1C, LDL cholesterol and blood pressure among participants with Type 2 diabetes. These indicators are routinely associated with diabetes management and were used to compare people who entered Medicare Advantage with similar beneficiaries who stayed in traditional Medicare.
According to Newsweek, 45% of participants who enrolled in Medicare Advantage during the study period did not experience measurable improvements in those biomarkers compared with people who remained in traditional Medicare.
The study’s authors did not identify a single explanation for the result. They suggested that some supplemental benefits offered through Medicare Advantage may not be reaching beneficiaries as effectively as intended.
“Even though these benefits exist on paper for people, they’re probably not reaching a lot of people,” lead researcher Seth Berkowitz, a primary-care doctor in the UNC Health hospital system, told MarketWatch, as reported by the same source. Use of supplemental benefits was also uneven. Data cited in the report showed that 3 in 10 Medicare Advantage beneficiaries used none of their supplemental benefits in 2024, while fewer than 10% used grocery or meal-delivery benefits.
Added Benefits Come With Limits and Access Requirements
Medicare Advantage, also known as Medicare Part C, allows beneficiaries to receive Medicare coverage through private insurers that contract with the federal government. Many plans include benefits beyond those available under traditional Medicare, but they may also use restricted provider networks and require prior authorization for some services.
Financial literacy instructor Alex Beene told Newsweek that additional benefits are not always straightforward to access and may involve added paperwork or calls to plan representatives.
The study does not establish that Medicare Advantage is a worse option for every beneficiary. Michael Ryan, a finance expert quoted by Newsweek, noted that the research was observational and focused on one chronic condition. He said beneficiaries should consider doctors, prescription coverage, networks, prior authorization and the ability to change coverage rather than making decisions primarily around benefits such as grocery cards or gym memberships.
Federal spending remains part of the wider debate. According to Newsweek, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission estimates that federal spending per Medicare Advantage enrollee is about 14% higher than spending for comparable beneficiaries in traditional Medicare.
The researchers’ findings add to earlier studies that also failed to identify significant improvements in diabetes outcomes after Medicare Advantage enrollment. For policymakers and beneficiaries, the new data leaves the central question unresolved: whether higher spending and broader supplemental benefits consistently produce better management of chronic illness.
