Seniors Challenged By 2019 Medicare Advantage Plan Supplemental Benefits

Earlier today, MedicareWire announced serious concerns with the 2019 Medicare Advantage (MA) open enrollment. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) [released an overview] of the 2019 health plans in late September. The federal health agency expects more people to join MA plans than ever before and highlighted a significant bump in the number of new plans entering the market. The report reveals the number of plans and highlights plans that will offer expanded, supplemental benefits.

David Bynon, Founder at MedicareWire, says: "This year, approximately 33 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. Determining whether a private health plan is the best choice is a complicated decision for most beneficiaries. We are seriously concerned that most people on Medicare do not have ready access to the information they need to make an informed decision. This is a serious problem because choosing the wrong plan can lead to higher out-of-pocket costs, which most seniors simply can't afford." [Past research](https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0132) has demonstrated that many seniors on Medicare don't join the best plan for their needs, leading to serious repercussions. The new MA plan details can be reviewed at https://medicarewire.com/medicare-advantage/.

While the addition of hundreds of new plans will be heralded as a win for seniors, it will also serve to complicated the decision-making process. The [CMS overview shows an increase](http://www.khq.com/story/39287234/2019-medicare-advantage-plan-finder-service-defies-convention-to-help-seniors) from 3,100 MA plans offered nationally in 2018 to 3,700 in 2019, with about 91 percent of seniors with Medicare needing to compare 10 or more plans to find the best option. Many large cities have over 25 plan options.

To further exacerbate the situation, the CMS changed it's rules for the 2019 plan year, allowing MA plans the opportunity to offer expanded, supplemental benefits. While most people can agree that allowing the market to have flexibility in the benefits it offers serves the Medicare population, the CMS has not offered the guidance or tools that thoroughly explain supplemental benefits to beneficiaries.

David Bynon also said "I predict that the addition of expanded, supplemental health benefits, without a comprehensive comparison tool, will confuse beneficiaries and prevent them from making the best choice for their financial and personal health circumstances. While MedicareWire is working to add features to its Medicare Advantage Plan Finder that will help seniors find and compare plans with supplemental benefits, it won't be available until late November." Seniors needing help deciphering plan benefits are encourage to reach out to their State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Each [state has a SHIP](https://www.shiptacenter.org/) that provides one-on-one counseling to help beneficiaries identify their best health plan options.

Medicare Advantage open enrollment begins October 15 and ends December 7. During open enrollment seniors can join a Medicare Advantage plan or renew their existing coverage. New plan elections begin January 1. Medicare beneficiaries can compare their plan options at https://medicarewire.com/medicare-advantage/. Plan contact information and enrollment instructions are available on each plan page.

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