Next year, more Medicare Advantage plans will offer non-medical supplemental benefits at no cost, including transportation, meals, nutrition and in-home support services, according to an Avalere analysis.1
Overall, the percentage of plans offering these benefits — both at $0 premium and otherwise — will increase in 2022. Meals will be the most commonly available benefit, offered by 68% of plans. Meanwhile, the percentage of plans offering meals at no cost will increase from 30% in 2021 to 40% in 2022. Almost all MA beneficiaries will have access to at least one $0-premium plan offering meals as a supplemental benefit in 2022, the report notes.
Nutrition services will be offered by 30% of plans, with the percentage of plans offering this support at no cost more than doubling from 9% in 2021 to 19% in 2022.
Thirty-nine percent of plans will offer transportation, with 25% offering the benefit at no cost, up from 21% in 2021. Finally, 11% of plans will offer in-home support services, with 7% providing the benefit at a $0 premium, compared with 4% in 2021.
The overall percentage of plans with a $0 premium will rise as well, going from 53% in 2021 to 58% next year. In 2022, 18% of plans will have a premium of more than $50, down from 21% in 2021.
These findings underscore that Medicare beneficiaries have more choices and greater support from plans than ever before. That’s good news for members, but it means an increasingly competitive landscape for plans. To remain competitive, MA plan leaders should take stock of their members’ needs and consider partnerships with community organizations that can help them provide or lower the cost of these services. As more supplemental benefits become available and affordable, both plans and members will benefit from the more holistic approach to member health they enable.
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References
- More Medicare Advantage Plans Will Offer Non-Medical Benefits in 2022 (Avalere) https://avalere.com/insights/more-medicare-advantage-plans-will-offer-non-medical-benefits-in-2022
