Healthcare Literacy May Be Higher For Male Medicare Beneficiaries

March 23, 2021 - Male Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older were more likely to say that they understood Medigap or Medicare Advantage plans and that the enrollment process was easy, according to a recent survey commissioned by MedicareGuide.com.

MedicareGuide.com used YouGov Plc to conduct an online survey. Over 1,000 people who were in the Medicare-eligible age range participated in the poll, which YouGov fielded from February 12 to February 17, 2021.

The results pointed to potential differences in healthcare literacy between the sexes, although the fact that men expressed greater confidence in their healthcare literacy does not necessarily mean that they have a better grasp of these concepts.

Slightly more than three-quarters of male participants (76 percent) responded that they were the primary decision-maker regarding their Medicare health plan. In comparison, 73 percent of female respondents stated that they were the primary decision-maker.

Women were also more likely to rely on an agent for Medicare enrollment, with 45 percent of women leveraging an agent as compared to 43 percent of men.

Among both male and female Medicare beneficiaries, those who enrolled themselves were in the minority. Still, men were more likely to enroll themselves (34 percent) when compared to women in Medicare (30 percent).

The survey also found that, among the generations currently in Medicare, women were 10 percentage points less likely to respond that they understood Medigap health plans and three percentage points less likely to say that they understood Medicare Advantage coverage.

While over four in ten men expressed confidence in their understanding of Medigap, only slightly more than three in ten women said that they felt the same way. Over half of the male respondents found Medigap enrollment easy, in contrast to 43 percent of women.

In general, experts have noted that consumers find Medigap plans confusing, largely due to the variation in innovative benefits.

Regarding Medicare Advantage, men’s and women’s confidence levels were more evenly matched in the MedicareGuide.com survey. Nevertheless, the data identified that men said that they understood Medicare Advantage plans better and found it easier to enroll than women did.

Thirty-four percent of men said that they understood Medicare Advantage plans as opposed to 31 percent of women. Furthermore, while more than half of women beneficiaries (55 percent) found Medicare Advantage enrollment easy, 63 percent of men said the same.

When stratified by age, however, the survey found that most Medicare beneficiaries have some level of understanding about Medigap and Medicare Advantage.

Almost eight in ten beneficiaries between the ages of 65 and 74 understood Medigap very or somewhat well and 72 percent of respondents in the same age range understood Medicare Advantage somewhat or very well. For beneficiaries aged 75 to 84, 73 percent understood Medigap very or somewhat well and 68 percent said the same of Medicare Advantage.

Beneficiaries closer to the age of 65 were more likely to rely on agents.

Beneficiaries' geographical regions also may play a role in seniors’ experiences with Medicare. In the midwest, Medigap is most popular, while seniors in the West gravitate strongly toward Medicare Advantage plans.

Separate studies have demonstrated that seniors are satisfied with their Medigap policies due to the fact that these policies may lower their healthcare spending.

However, Medicare Advantage likewise has grown in popularity in recent years, according to Better Medicare Alliance. Enrollment increase 60 percent from 2013 to 2020 and the number of health plans expanded as well, jumping 49 percent from 2017 to 2020.

A number of factors may have influenced this rapid increase in enrollment.

For example, the 34.2 percent premium drop between 2017 and 2021 in addition to a rule expanding Medicare eligibility for patients with end stage renal disease may have had an impact. Plans have also been enriching their benefits since 2020 and insulin prices for diabetes dropped to a copay of $35 per month in 2021.

Overall, Medicare has successfully increased seniors’ access to care and lowered cost-related barriers, a recent Health Affairs study noted.