New Medicare Advantage Benefits: 2019-2020

The list of benefits covered by Medicare Advantage plans grew to be more expansive when new federal laws took effect in 2019.

Even more new additional benefits may be offered by some Medicare Advantage plans in 2020.

What benefits do 2019 and 2020 Medicare Advantage plans offer?

In April of 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded its definition of “primary health-related” benefits that private insurance companies are allowed to include in their Medicare Advantage plan offerings.

Some of the benefits that were added to the approved list include:

• Transportation to doctor’s offices
• Grab bars in home bathrooms
• Healthier food options
• Air conditioners for people with asthma
• Home-delivered meals
• Aides to help with daily activities like dressing or eating

The expansion of the “primary health-related” definition includes care and devices that are used to:

• Treat or prevent injuries or illness
• Compensate for physical impairments
• Reduce emergency medical care
• Address the psychological effects of injuries or illness

While any new benefits would not require a doctor’s order or prescription, they would have to be deemed “medically appropriate” and recommended by a licensed health care provider.  

Medicare Advantage Plan Benefits

By law, Medicare Advantage plans must cover everything that is covered by Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B). Each plan may then also include additional benefits at their discretion.

Some Medicare Advantage plans include benefits like dental, vision, hearing and prescription drug coverage, none of which are covered by Original Medicare. Some plans may even offer coverage for gym memberships and fitness programs. 

The additional benefits that are available with some Medicare Advantage plans could be one reason why over one-third of all Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in one of the thousands of Medicare Advantage plans available nationwide.¹   

Before taking effect, any benefit packages for 2020 Medicare Advantage plans must first be approved by CMS. The list of approved benefits is expected to be released in the fall of 2019, when annual open enrollment begins. 

Compare Medicare Advantage plan benefits in your area

Call today to speak with a licensed insurance agent who can help you compare Medicare Advantage plans that are available where you live so you can find a plan that offers the benefits you need.

Or call 1-800-557-6059 1-800-557-6059 TTY Users: 711 to speak with a licensed insurance agent. We accept calls 24/7!

About the author

Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.

Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.

Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.

Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.

A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.

 

 

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