Falls Prevention in Medicare Advantage

Key Facts:

For older adults, falls are the leading cause of injuries and injury related deaths, resulting in physical and emotional stress for the injured person, hospitalizations and 27,000 deaths each year.

Treating injuries related to falls costs Medicare $31 billion each year.

Medicare Advantage plans promote falls prevention programs by increasing awareness, identifying and encouraging at-risk beneficiaries to participate in falls prevention programs.

Community-based organizations provide falls prevention programs which lead to significant behavioral changes for the beneficiary and reduce medical costs.

Medicare Advantage plans have new flexibility that allow them to offer home modifications to prevent falls as a supplemental benefit.

Reducing the risk of falls is a quality measure in Medicare Advantage which incentivizes plans to make falls prevention a priority.