BrightStar Care Invests in Medicare Advantage Study to Signify Where the Home Care Industry Is Heading and its Strategy to Align

The study showed that 88% of respondents would be more likely to choose a Medicare Advantage plan that offers a larger number of personal care hours. These findings reinforce research from Moving Health Home, which found that 73% of adults support receiving care in their homes and are confident in the quality of care they receive in the home.

The vast majority of respondents feel it is extremely important that their chosen personal care agency accept their Medicare Advantage benefit. In fact, 86% of respondents reported they would not consider using services from a personal care agency if it did not accept their Medicare Advantage plan. Further, the study indicated most would switch to another personal care service if their current agency did not accept their Medicare Advantage benefit.

Additionally, nearly all respondents agreed that their main priority when vetting personal care agencies was to find one that would accept their Medicare Advantage benefit. Caregiver compatibility and high quality of care were second to accepting their Medicare Advantage personal care benefits but are still major components when choosing a personal care provider. These trends in consumer behavior tied to personal care usage and Medicare Advantage displays the vast eligible population personal care agencies must be engaging with.

“These rising statistics showcase how the healthcare industry is evolving in a direction where Medicare Advantage is becoming widely accepted by personal care agencies,” said Shelly Sun, Founder and CEO of BrightStar Care.

This response from Medicare Advantage recipients demonstrates the crucial role personal care services have in the overall healthcare ecosystem. Data from BrightStar Care’s commissioned study also further highlights estimated figures from the 2022 ATI Advisory and CMS Medicare Advantage enrollment annual report. That report found that Medicare Advantage is projected to become the dominant form of Medicare by 2031.

Medicare Advantage is approaching 50% of all Medicare plans; more than 30 million people are enrolled nationwide. The two contributing factors causing this steady increase are the rise in the size of the 65+ population and the shifting mix in conversion over to Medicare Advantage from traditional Medicare. Based on these findings, by 2031, Medicare Advantage will cover more than 41.

Since 2018 BrightStar Care has invested in nearly half a dozen data studies with major third-party entities. This includes partnering with Avalere Health, ATI Advisory, and Russell Research to measure BrightStar Care’s clinical outcomes, payer benefits, customer and employee journeys, and more to shape its long-term strategies. Data from these studies have assisted BrightStar Care in understanding the healthcare ecosystem and the home care landscape.

BrightStar Care’s 2021 Avalere study proved the brand’s clients receiving in-home personal care experienced lower rates of hospitalizations, Emergency Department visits, and Skilled Nursing Facility utilization delivering lower costs for payers. Now with the release of this Medicare Advantage study, data reveals that Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are looking to utilize personal care services as part of their plan.