Medicare Advantage Programs Support Aging in Place and Increase Access to Care

Posted on April 21, 2022

To support aging in place, Medicare Advantage plans offer access to preventive programs and home- and community-based care that help minimize hospitalizations and promote better health at home. Aetna Medicare explains how they work and 4 community programs that improve access to care.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a change many were predicting – the shift to home- and community-based healthcare.

As more than 90% of older adults prefer to age in place, they’re embracing home-based care as the future – and, in turn, so must the healthcare industry.

As a caregiver, you might be wondering how to best help your loved one navigate their healthcare.

Through Medicare Advantage plans, family caregivers can help the older adults in their lives get the care they need, where and when they want it.

Through benefits like care management programs, telehealth, fall prevention, and in-home care, Medicare Advantage can support and encourage aging in place and increase access to care for older adults who may benefit from this new approach.

Preventive measures minimize hospitalizations and promote better health at home

Caregivers understand better than anyone else their loved one’s desire to stay at home as they grow older.

But, as those 65 and over have almost a 70% chance of needing long-term care services and support in their remaining years, we must continue innovating to cater to their needs and wants.

Thankfully, there are a number of preventive measures that your loved one’s health plan can provide to minimize hospitalizations and promote better health at home.

Medicare Advantage plans offer older adults care management benefits and offerings that promote aging in place.

For example, Aetna Medicare Advantage plans offer many of their members chronic care management programs and a Healthy Aging Support program that make it easier for them to manage their conditions and, ultimately, their total health.

Other helpful initiatives include readmission-prevention programs that equip older adults and their caregivers with the tools and resources to avoid re-hospitalizations after hospital stays.

Telehealth also plays a significant role in delivering comprehensive, personalized, high-quality care to our communities, and the COVID-19 pandemic helped accelerate the adoption of these services. 

For example, Aetna saw significant rises in telehealth utilization – in 2020 telehealth accounted for 13% of all primary care visits, 6% for specialist visits, and a staggering 38% for mental and behavioral health visits. 

These numbers reflect how telehealth undoubtedly shaped the way individuals care for their health and how healthcare providers operate.

As a result, many healthcare plans expanded telehealth benefits for members this year – spanning primary, urgent, and specialty care, including mental health services.

Make sure to check out your loved one’s healthcare plan benefits to learn more about what offerings are available.

By delivering services to individuals in the comfort of their own homes, we can encourage them to get care more regularly and in a way that is most convenient for them, forging a path towards accessible and equitable healthcare.

Source: https://dailycaring.com/medicare-advantage-programs-support-aging-in-place-and-increase-access-to-care/