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“In the year preceding the coronavirus pandemic, Medicare beneficiaries were in good health and were satisfied with their healthcare coverage and spending.”

by Kelsey Waddill

“In 2019, Medicare beneficiaries who were living in the community were in good health and reported satisfaction with their Medicare coverage, including Medicare costs, quality of care, and access to care, according to the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey’s (MCBS) preliminary report.

“The report pulled data from a CMS survey of Medicare beneficiaries who were living in the community—in other words, not living in a long-term care facility. It presents an early depiction of the state of the Medicare population before the coronavirus pandemic struck the US.

“The population was composed primarily of white, non-Hispanic beneficiaries (74.9 percent). The study’s demographics racially and ethnically were similar to the overall Medicare beneficiary population’s demographics at the time.

“The majority of respondents were between 65 and 85 years of age (76.4 percent), with 14 percent of the population reporting that they were less than 65 years old and 9.3 percent stating that they were over 85 years old. A little less than one in five beneficiaries were veterans (18.5 percent).

“’The MCBS is the most comprehensive and complete survey available on the Medicare population and is essential in capturing data not otherwise collected through operations and administration of the Medicare program,’ the report explained.”

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