Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits and Improved Healthcare Use

MA supplemental benefits are items or services covered by an MA plan that are not covered by traditional Medicare, such as vision and dental care as well as benefits such as transportation and nutrition support. Policy makers and other stakeholders are interested in better understanding MA beneficiaries’ supplemental benefit use and its impact on healthcare outcomes. This analysis is among the first to provide data-driven evidence on the association between supplemental benefits and healthcare utilization.

The analysis uses a rigorous methodology to isolate the added value of supplemental benefit use on healthcare utilization outcomes, finding a decreased likelihood of inpatient admissions and non-emergent emergency department visits (non-duals only), and an increased likelihood of outpatient visits and preventative screenings among supplemental benefit users.