Supplemental benefits under Medicare Advantage. Part 1, An in-depth look at what they are today
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Insight on the issues (AARP Public Policy Institute)
- Author(s):
- Noel-Miller, Claire, author Sung, Jane, author
- Contributor(s):
- AARP (Organization), issuing body. Public Policy Institute (AARP (Organization)), issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, DC : AARP Public Policy Institute, December 2018
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Insurance Benefits Medicare Part C Hearing Aids Hearing Tests Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision State Government Humans United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Medicare beneficiaries have a choice of traditional Medicare or private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. In 2017, the number of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in MA plans reached 19 million, or about one in three people with Medicare nationwide. With a steadily increasing share of Medicare's population opting for MA and growth projected to continue, MA's already important role within the Medicare program will only increase in coming years. Medicare Advantage, otherwise known as Medicare Part C, must cover all the benefits that traditional Medicare covers under its hospital insurance (Part A) and medical insurance (Part B). However, MA plans can also offer additional benefits outside those covered in traditional Medicare. Collectively known as supplemental benefits, these extra services have commonly included benefits such as dental, vision, and hearing. Supplemental benefits are a key difference between MA and traditional Medicare, and their availability may be one important reason why some beneficiaries opt for MA. Starting in 2019, there will be significant changes to MA supplemental benefits, with important consequences for consumers. These changes will implement new policies established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and enacted by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 20189 earlier this year. This Insight on the Issues is the first of two reports that examine MA's supplemental benefits. In this paper, we set the stage to discuss the impact of impending changes to MA supplemental benefits by explaining how supplemental benefits have worked in recent years. In doing so, we present new data on the supplemental benefits that MA plans offer. In a forthcoming Insight on the Issues, we will detail upcoming changes to the rules that govern supplemental benefits, discuss possible implications for MA enrollees, and propose policy options to ensure strong consumer protections as MA plans implement these changes.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (15 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101743457 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101743457