A new study found that 99.9% of Medicare Advantage plans are offering supplemental benefits in 2022, with vision and hearing benefits the most widely offered.
The study, conducted on behalf of the Better Medicare Alliance (BMA), found 5,311 of 5,312 MA plans offered supplemental benefits for 2022. The study was done by consulting firm Milliman and also found a 38% increase in supplemental benefits for helping the chronically ill.
“As this analysis shows, Medicare Advantage continues to raise the bar in supplemental benefits offered to seniors,” said Mary Beth Donahue, president and CEO of the BMA. “What’s more, the analysis showed continued growth in benefits like over-the-counter coverage, remote access technologies and meals that are helping seniors weather the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded the number of benefits MA plans could offer to enrollees in 2018 and 2019.
The benefit most widely offered by MA plans was vision coverage, an option included in 97% of plans. This was shortly followed by hearing (94%), fitness (94%) and dental care at 91%.
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Another 84% of plans offer over-the-counter benefits and 69% a meal benefit to seniors, which advocates say has been critical in addressing social determinants of health.
The analysis showed more MA plans are also adopting special supplemental benefits for the chronically ill, which can include some non-health-related benefits such as pest control or structural home modifications. Milliman found the number of plans offering these types of benefits increased from 815 to 1,127 plans from 2021 to 2022.
Milliman, which looked at benefit data provided by CMS, also found there are 419 more plans this year offering food and produce to members compared to 2021.
MA has become an increasingly lucrative market for insurers, with more payers seeking market share as enrollment has swelled. A new study from the Chartis Group showed MA enrollment increased by 2.3 million for 2022, with for-profit plans gaining the most new enrollees.