Medicare enrollees are more likely to have limited means (i.e., incomes under $20,000 to $30,000), are much less likely to have employer-provided supplemental coverage, and more likely to be racial and ethnic minorities.

More efficient care through Medicare Advantage adds up to savings for patients - on average, out-of-pocket costs are nearly $90 a month less than traditional fee-for-service Medicare. That’s more than $1000 a year in savings for seniors on limited incomes.

It is essential that we promote access to coverage like that available in most Medicare Advantage plans, which emphasizes preventing illness in the first place, avoiding preventable complications of chronic diseases, and using health services more efficiently. Compared to traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans can reduce out-of-pocket costs by up to $4,000 annually for patients with the highest health care needs

Medical groups and independent practice associations are much more capable than individual physicians to invest in integrated health information technology systems, which help reduce healthcare costs. In California, where coordinated care has been practiced for more than 25 years, nearly half the insured population enjoys some level of health technology deployment, including electronic health records, e-prescribing systems, patient-physician e-mailing capability online appointments, patient web portals, and electronic disease registries.

Coordinated care delivery model provides Medicare Advantage patients with a medical home managed by multispecialty physician groups that emphasize preventive care to help keep senior patients healthy, detect diseases at an early stage, and avoid preventable diseases, all at lower cost for patients. This is the only delivery model that can ensure increased availability of higher quality care for more patients over the long-term.