White Medicare beneficiaries consistently receive potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) at higher rates than their minority counterparts, according to a nationwide study examining over 32 million Medicare beneficiary-years between 2016 and 2019. The research revealed a surprising pattern: White seniors had the highest rates of receiving medications considered risky for older adults, while Black beneficiaries consistently had the lowest rates across all measures studied. For high-risk medications, 14.2% of White beneficiaries received such prescriptions compared to 12.6% of Black, 13.8% of Hispanic, and 10.9% of Asian or Pacific Islander beneficiaries.
White seniors with dementia were also more likely to receive medications that could worsen their condition (33.5%) compared to Black beneficiaries (25.3%), though Hispanic seniors with dementia had the highest rate at 36.7%. Similarly, patients with a history of falls received potentially harmful medications more frequently if they were White (31.2%) compared to Black (26.7%) or Asian/Pacific Islander (22.6%) beneficiaries.
“These findings suggest the need to reduce PIM use among all racial and ethnic groups, particularly White Medicare beneficiaries,” noted study authors led by Dr. Raver. While the racial differences were present in both traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, the disparities were smaller among Medicare Advantage enrollees, suggesting that standardized care quality and utilization management practices may help reduce these differences. The higher PIM use among White seniors puts them at increased risk for adverse drug events and associated health complications.
See: “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use Among Medicare Beneficiaries” (April 14, 2025)