Following the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D Call Letter that was issued on April 1, 2019, Medicare Advantage plans have begun offering supplemental benefits for the first time. Some of the supplemental benefits being offered include pest control, companionship programs, and transportation benefits. These supplemental benefits are primarily being offered in markets with strong competition, as MA plans attempt to differentiate themselves from their competitors with their benefits package.
A study conducted by the Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, released on Dec. 9, 2019, found that MA plans are testing new supplemental benefits, but widespread adoption of the benefits will be gradual, as it takes time to design and implement the benefits. Additionally, the study found that MA plans face practical barriers to offering these benefits, such as targeting the benefits without receiving additional funding to provide them. The study concludes by suggesting that CMS could accelerate the adoption of these supplemental benefits by promoting evidence for the benefits that work and more clearly defining the types of supplemental benefits that MA plans can offer.
Last Updated on May 15, 2020 by Aimed Alliance
