Medicare eligibility drives down racial disparities, study finds

Access to Medicare may help address racial disparities in insurance coverage, access and self-reported outcomes, according to a new study (Source: “Medicare eligibility erases many healthcare disparities in US,” Healthcare Dive, July 26).

The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, tracked more than 2.4 million Americans and found that immediately after turning 65, and thus becoming eligible for Medicare, coverage for Black respondents increased from 86.3% to 95.8%. Among Hispanic respondents, coverage increased from 77.4% to 91.3%.

The JAMA study has validated the importance of Medicare in terms of leveling the playing field for Americans when it comes to healthcare access — a gap that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas there are significant gaps in access to healthcare and disparities among ethnic groups, reaching Medicare age wipes much of them out.

Disparities in insurance coverage were cut by 53% between Black people and white people, and 51% for Latino people versus white people. The proportion of Black and Latino people who self-reported their health as poor also dropped significantly after they became eligible for Medicare.