AHIP has endorsed a legislative proposal to expand Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits. The “Whole Health in Medicare Advantage Act,” introduced by Representatives Gus Bilirakis and Earl Blumenauer, aims to enhance preventive care, education, and accessibility within the program. This legislation would allow for more tailored supplemental benefits, potentially saving costs and improving outcomes for high-risk seniors. Since 2020, plans for chronically ill beneficiaries have been permitted to offer non-medical supplemental benefits, including financial assistance and transportation for non-medical purposes.
In a recent development, AHIP, the leading trade association for the health insurance industry, has thrown its support behind a groundbreaking legislative proposal aimed at broadening the spectrum of supplemental benefits accessible through Medicare Advantage.
The proposed legislation, known as the Whole Health in Medicare Advantage Act, is being championed by two esteemed lawmakers, Representative Gus Bilirakis hailing from Florida, and Representative Earl Blumenauer from Oregon.
Mr. Bilirakis articulated the significance of this initiative, stating, “Preventive measures, education, and enhanced accessibility are indispensable facets of a robust healthcare framework like Medicare. Granting Medicare Advantage programs the flexibility to tailor supplemental benefits based on these core principles can lead to substantial cost savings in the long term and, more importantly, significantly enhance health outcomes for our senior citizens who are at a higher risk.”
Traditionally, Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits, encompassing services like dental, vision, and hearing coverage that are not encompassed by the original Medicare program, were primarily focused on medical necessities. However, since 2020, plans targeting chronically ill beneficiaries have been granted the latitude to provide supplemental benefits catering to non-medical requirements, such as financial assistance and transportation for non-medical purposes, as per information from KFF.
