MEDICARE VS. PRIVATE INSURANCE

A 2002 study by the Commonwealth Fund found that people on Medicare were happier with their health care than people who had private-sector insurance.

Medicare vs. Private Insurance: Rhetoric and Reality
October 1, 2002
Authors: Karen Davis, Cathy Schoen, Michelle Doty et al.

...Davis and coauthors find that elderly Medicare beneficiaries are more likely than enrollees in employer-sponsored plans to rate their health insurance as excellent (32% vs. 20%) and less likely to report negative experiences with their insurance plans (43% vs. 61%). Medicare beneficiaries are also less likely than those with private insurance to go without needed care owing to costs (18% vs. 22%). The survey also finds that elderly Medicare beneficiaries are more likely to report being very satisfied with the care they received compared with those with private insurance (62% vs. 51%).