Introduction
Asians and Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) are two distinct and growing populations in the United States. Among those aged 65 and over in 2050, 7.1 percent of the population are projected to be Asian and 0.3 percent are projected to be NHOPI.1 Given the rich diversity of these groups and their expected growth, it will become important to understand the health needs of these aging populations.
Identifying appropriate targets to improve health care quality and reduce health disparities requires sufficient data to permit analyses of detailed racial groups. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopted data collection standards that included additional granularity for Asian and NHOPI racial groups on population surveys. These standards strengthen federal data collections by providing guidance on collecting additional demographic data to improve our understanding of healthcare disparities. To understand the health needs of diverse Asian and NHOPI groups it will become increasingly important to have nationally representative data sources that provide granular data for each of these distinct groups.
Since 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) has been collecting data on the health status of detailed Asian and NHOPI groups who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage and Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans. This brief presents findings from the 2013-2015 HOS Baseline Cohorts 16, 17, and 18 for Asian and NHOPI beneficiaries. The HOS is a longitudinal survey that measures Medicare Advantage Organization (MAO) plans’ success in maintaining or improving beneficiaries’ physical and mental health.2 The three crosssectional cohorts included Medicare beneficiaries enrolled
