“How do you get the new Medicare Advantage benefits? It’s not easy,” by Walecia Konrad, MarketWatch

 

Quote:

“If you’re tempted by the new benefits some Medicare Advantage plans are touting, the annual open enrollment season (Oct. 15 through Dec. 7) is the time to look. But finding a plan offering the benefits might be hard. … These new rules open the door to coverage for adult day care services, home-based palliative care, in-home support services, caregiver support, non-opioid pain management, memory fitness services, home and bathroom safety devices and modifications, transportation, meal delivery, pest control, over-the-counter health items, virtual health services, acupuncture and others. … So far, insurers and consumers have been slow to embrace the new rules. Only an estimated 4.6% of plans are offering any new benefit, according to Brown University research published in May 2020. … You won’t know which, if any, of these new benefits you’ll receive until you are enrolled in a plan that offers them. That’s because the plan will need to confirm your diagnosis and determine if you meet the plan’s eligibility rules, something that can’t be done before you are a member.”

 

LTC Comment:    Real or phantom benefit?