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Scientific Oral Presentations

Business of Medicine

Session: Scientific Oral Presentations 1 - Business of Medicine

Analysis of Beneficiary Plan Switching in Medicare Advantage by Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use

Monday, October 13, 2025
3:24 PM - 3:30 PM EDT
Location: 109-110
Disclosure(s):
Sarah Y. Bessen, MD MPH:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: Medicare Advantage (MA) is the primary option for Medicare beneficiaries seeking supplemental coverage for hearing services, but the role of hearing-related factors on individual enrollment patterns is unknown. We investigated enrollment behavior in MA by hearing loss and hearing aid status.

Methods: Using 2016-2021 data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, we analyzed continuous enrollment in MA by hearing loss and hearing aid use among MA enrollees. Based on MA enrollment from one year to the next, we computed both the percentage of enrollees who remained in MA and the percentage of those who were no longer enrolled the following year. We also performed longitudinal analyses using generalized estimating equations (GEE) to assess the adjusted proportion of beneficiaries staying or switching out of MA over time. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic and health characteristics.

Results: Among a sample of 62,425 participants, 18, 391 (26.8%) reported being initially enrolled in MA. For each year between 2016 and 2021, 81.4-92.8% of those beneficiaries stayed in MA, while 7.2-18.6% switched out. There were no significant differences in rates of switching in or out of MA by self-reported hearing loss status or hearing aid use. Fully-adjusted GEE analyses demonstrated no significant differences in rates of staying in MA (Adjusted % [CI]; HL: 84.7 [82.8-86.6]; No HL 85.8 [84.1-87.5]) by hearing loss status. However, those with hearing aids were less likely to stay in MA over time compared to those without hearing aids (HA: 80.6 [76.9-84.2]; No HA: 86.4 [84.5-88.3]).

Conclusions: Study findings overall suggest that hearing loss status and hearing aid use do not drive decisions regarding staying in or switching out of MA plans, though MA beneficiaries with hearing aids may be less likely to stay in MA over time compared to those without. More research is needed to understand specific motivations surrounding plan selection.

    Presenting Author(s)

  • AA

    Ameen Ahmad, BS

    Medical Student
    The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • SB

    Sarah Y. Bessen, MD MPH

    Resident Physician
    Johns Hopkins University
    Baltimore, MD, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • EE

    Emmanuel E. Garcia Morales, PhD

    Johns Hopkins University, USA

    Disclosure information not submitted.

    • Senior Author(s)

  • NR

    Nicholas Reed, AuD PhD

    NYU Langone, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.