Let's start with the basics. Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are an "all-in-one" alternative to original Medicare and offered by private companies approved by Medicare. When it comes to the fastest-growing segment in health insurance, MA plans may be surpassing them all. In fact, MA beneficiaries have doubled to 24 million since 2010 and projections show that MA plans will account for nearly half (47%) of total Medicare plans by 2025. So, benefit advisors, now is the time to get MA and the many changes that come with it on your radar.

Where do supplemental benefits come into play? The rules of the MA game continue to change rapidly, based on regulatory changes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). As supplemental benefits increase in value, advisors should be aware of the impact on the market when crafting the best strategy for clients.

Opportunities stemming from legislation

CMS announced a new policy in 2019 that expanded the definition of health-related supplemental benefits. For the 2020 plan year, CMS expanded supplemental benefits for chronically ill MA enrollees to include all benefits that have a reasonable expectation of improving or maintaining the health or overall function of the enrollees. This could include meal delivery, service dog support, structural home modifications and more. With 68% of MA enrollees having two or more chronic conditions, this change alone made a big impact.