Use of Care Management Services by Medicare Beneficiaries With and Without Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

About 7 million older Americans live with Alzheimer’s, a devastating disease that can overwhelm individuals, families and caregivers. Along with the human toll, U.S. spending on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) reached $360 billion in 2024. 

People with ADRD often need significant services and support, including management of chronic conditions; round-the-clock supervision and care; and assistance with eating, bathing, and dressing. Care management services can help ensure Medicare beneficiaries with ADRD receive comprehensive, consistent care that may help prevent avoidable hospitalizations and emergency department visits.

A new AIR Health Research and Policy Center Data Brief provides a snapshot of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years and older with and without ADRD and their use of four Medicare-covered care management services: advance care planning, chronic care management, transitional care management, and behavioral health integration. 
 

Key Findings

In 2023, Medicare beneficiaries with ADRD were about twice as likely to use any care management service compared to beneficiaries without ADRD—23.0% and 11.3%, respectively. The analysis also found that beneficiaries with ADRD are more likely to be sicker and poorer than beneficiaries without ADRD. 

Almost 3 out of 4 Medicare beneficiaries with ADRD have more than five chronic conditions in addition to ADRD compared to about 1 in 4 beneficiaries without ADRD. Similarly, beneficiaries with ADRD were nearly four times as likely (32.4% vs. 8.7%) to be dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, which covers low-income people.