MA recipients, dual eligibles less likely to be discharged to highly rated post acute rehab

Association of Dual Eligibility and Medicare Type With Quality of Postacute Care After Stroke

Among non-dual-eligible patients, those enrolled in Medicare Advantage received care at highly rated skilled nursing facilities at a rate of 53.2%, compared with 58.0% for traditional Medicare enrollees; rates for highly rated home health agencies were 18.6% and 21.9%, respectively. Among dual-eligible patients, 41.7% enrolled in Medicare Advantage received care at highly rated skilled nursing facilities, compared with 43.8% in traditional Medicare. These findings suggest that dual-eligible and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with stroke experience disparities in receiving high-quality postacute care; improving awareness of postacute care facility quality ratings among patients, caregivers, and discharge planners, along with having high-quality facilities in the Medicare Advantage plan network, can help reduce these disparities.

— JAMA Network Open, February 24, 2026

Karmarkar, Amol M., et al. “Association of Dual Eligibility and Medicare Type With Quality of Postacute Care After Stroke.” JAMA Network Open, 24 Feb. 2026. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2845446.

Dual-Eligible MA Stroke Patients Face Higher Odds of Low-Quality Nursing Home Discharge

Among dual-eligible beneficiaries hospitalized for stroke, those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans were more likely to be discharged to lower-quality nursing homes compared with their counterparts in traditional fee-for-service Medicare.

— Skilled Nursing News, February 24, 2026

Study: MA recipients, dual eligibles less likely to use highly rated stroke rehab

Older adults enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) or Medicare-Medicaid dual-eligible plan were less likely to be discharged to highly rated post-acute care than those covered by traditional Medicare, according to a February study published in JAMA Network Open.

“Our cohort study found significant disadvantages in discharge to quality skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for patients with stroke associated with dual eligibility and MA plans,” authors said. “These differences in quality of SNF care can be associated with health outcomes during the initial phases of stroke, particularly functional recovery, and prevention of infections, pressure ulcers and hospital readmissions.”

Among those discharged to SNFs, 1,425 of 2,913 MA dual-eligible patients (58.3%) were discharged to low-quality SNFs. This contrasts with FFS non–dual-eligible patients, where 2092 of the 5686 (42.0%) were discharged to low-quality SNFs. Authors note that MA plans are incentivized to cut costs, which may contribute to beneficiaries utilizing less expensive SNFs that deliver lower quality care.

— McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, February 26, 2026