No Advantage

A version of Medicare—the US government health insurance program for older Americans, provided by private health insurers—increased already high readmission rates among black patients in New York, according to a new Health Affairs study.

Using a state patient database, researchers found black Medicare Advantage patients were 64% more likely than white patients to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days after surgery. Black patients with traditional Medicare were 33% more likely to be readmitted than white patents.

The study’s approximately 20,000 patients had undergone 1 of 6 major surgeries, including pulmonary lobectomy, colectomy and hip replacement.

Source: Health Affairs