Comparing Medicare Plan Selection Among Beneficiaries with and without a History of Cancer

Individuals aging into Medicare must choose among plans that vary in their scope of benefits, access to health care providers, and exposure to out-of-pocket expenses. When faced with complex coverage decisions, it is unclear whether older adults consider their experiences with prior serious illness or current medical conditions. We estimated the association between a self-reported history of cancer and initial plan selection among 3,811 Health and Retirement Study participants aging into Medicare between 2008 and 2020. The proportion of individuals with and without a history of cancer who chose Medicare Advantage was similar; however, the probability of selecting traditional Medicare plus supplemental coverage was 8.03 percentage points (95 percent confidence interval 2.99-13.07) higher for respondents with a history of cancer compared to those without a history of cancer. Individuals with a history of cancer may have accounted for their previous experiences with high-cost health care services and prioritized plans with robust benefits (e.g., greater financial protections). Raising awareness of and enhancing educational resources could ensure older adults select plans that meet their current and evolving health care needs.