LAUSR

Key Points Question How do health care access, preventive care use, and affordability of care compare between adults aged 65 years or older with low income enrolled in Medicare Advantage vs traditional Medicare? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 2622 adults with low income, no associations for most measures of health care access and preventive care use were observed between Medicare Advantage vs traditional Medicare. These adults were similarly likely to experience financial strain from medical bills and cost-associated barriers to prescription drugs. Meaning Although Medicare Advantage provides more generous benefits and incentives to coordinate care and manage health, there were no meaningful differences across most measures for adults with low income enrolled in Medicare Advantage vs traditional Medicare, which may have implications regarding advancing health equity in Medicare.