Payers Share Benefits Before Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment

October 04, 2021 - As the 2022 Medicare Advantage open enrollment period approaches, payers are revealing their 2022 Medicare Advantage benefits.

Five major payers shared the updates to their benefit offerings for the new year, including social determinants of health, supplemental benefits, dual special needs plan benefits, and more. They also disclosed their expansion plans.

A few themes arose from these announcements, some of which are consistent with the 2021 open enrollment season.

Payers emphasized how they are addressing social determinants of health such as food insecurity and transportation barriers. They continued to support social determinants of health needs through benefit cards. Also, they are making more services available through home healthcare and maintaining lower cost-sharing for telehealth.

Aetna

Aetna serves 9.8 million Medicare members as of June 2021, 2.9 of whom are in Aetna’s Medicare Advantage plan. 

READ MORE: 2022 Medicare Advantage Premiums Drop, Enrollment May Rise

The payer’s Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans will be in 1,875 counties, broadening Aetna’s reach to 53.2 million beneficiaries. Aetna’s Medicare prescription drug plans serve 5.7 million members and the Medicare supplement plans serve over 1.2 million members.

In 2022, more than eight in ten Medicare-eligible beneficiaries will have access to Aetna’s zero-dollar premium Medicare Advantage plan, the payer announced. Around 75 percent of Aetna Individual Medicare Advantage plan members will have no out-of-pocket costs for primary care or laboratory services. 

All Aetna Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will have no copay for Alc, urine protein, coronavirus testing, and diabetes eye exams.

To address social determinants of health needs, Aetna’s Medicare Advantage plans will cover telehealth services for primary care, urgent care, specialty care, and mental healthcare. More health plans will offer the Healthy Foods benefit card which members can use to purchase nutritious food.

In eight states, Aetna Medicare Advantage beneficiaries may connect with a companion who can help with house chores for free for up to ten hours each month. They may also access a companion to relieve social isolation remotely via telephone or video.

READ MORE: BMA Asks Congress to Secure Medicare Advantage Benefits in Reform Bill

Aetna Medicare Advantage plans may conduct annual in-home health risk assessments and physical exams with no cost-sharing.

The payer is also offering benefits to select groups of beneficiaries.

For example, through Aetna’s dual special needs plan which exists in 27 states, members will have no out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs along with other free benefits for beneficiaries who are eligible for low-income subsidies. Aetna’s dual special needs plan beneficiaries may also have access to a utility card to help cover water, gas, and other expenses.

Certain Aetna Medicare Advantage plans in Ohio and Pennsylvania will fully cover members’ medical coverage and hospice care. Benefits may include treatment for a terminal illness, additional transportation or meals, and home healthcare services.

Eligible members in Pennsylvania and Minnesota will have access to $100 per quarter for in-network primary and specialty care copayments through an Aetna Medicare payment card with PayFlex.

Cigna

READ MORE: How New Medicare Benefits Would Impact Medicare Advantage Rebates

Cigna’s Medicare Advantage plans will be accessible in 108 new counties and in three new states, the payer announced. The payer will cover virtual care for primary care, behavioral healthcare, and physical therapy services with no cost-sharing. Every market will include one or more Cigna health plans that have no premium.

The payer is offering Medicare Advantage beneficiaries a companion who can help combat isolation among seniors by engaging in activities with the members. The individual can also accomplish small, everyday tasks for the senior such as making meals or finishing chores. 

This offering exists in addition to Cigna’s other benefits related to social determinants of health, such as meal delivery and transportation to vaccine appointments.

Chronic disease management, particularly diabetes care, remains a priority for payers. In light of that, Cigna will expand its Senior Savings Model, which limits the price of insulin to $35 per month in accordance with a Trump-era policy. 

Cigna Medicare Advantage enrollees can also get a $0 copay on annual wellness screenings and physical examinations when they visit an in-network provider.

Humana

Humana’s Medicare Advantage population exceeded 4.3 million as of June 2021, which was a 12 percent increase over June 2020.

In 2022, however, the payer added 72 new health plans including Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans, Medicare Advantage only plans, and special needs plans.

Humana noted a couple of customer service adjustments that the payer made in order to accommodate new enrollees. 

First, the payer will offer alternatives to in-person enrollment, enabling both online and telephonic enrollment options for those with coronavirus-related safety concerns in addition to in-person options that abide by coronavirus safety standards. Second, Humana hired more agents to meet the demands of enrollment season.

Humana Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan enrollees will have access to telehealth for primary care, urgent care, and outpatient behavioral health needs with no copay. Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan enrollees who have contracted coronavirus can receive testing, treatment, vaccinations, and 28 meal deliveries with no copay as well.

A couple of Humana’s newer benefits include the dual special needs plan prescription drug savings benefit, through which dual special needs plan members will get relief from Medicare Part D drug copays. Also, members can receive $250 on a Humana Flex Card Visa debit card which may go toward out-of-pocket healthcare costs for dental, vision, or hearing services.

Members in the dual special needs plans may also use their Humana Healthy Foods Card to purchase approved, nutritious foods at chain grocery stores. The card could cover $35 to $100 of members’ grocery costs.

UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group serves over 7.3 million Medicare Advantage plan enrollees and in 2022 the payer’s reach will encompass 94 percent of all Medicare-eligible Americans.

Among its new offerings, the payer will offer its UCard. The UCard combines members’ UnitedHealthcare identity card with their over-the-counter benefit and healthy food benefit cards. Members can use the Card to redeem rewards at retail locations and online.

The payer will also expand its home healthcare services to allow for home-based, chronic disease prevention testing. House visits related to these tests and other home healthcare—or HouseCall—visits will incorporate a social determinants of health scan.

“In 2022, we will introduce new lower premium Medicare Supplement plans to meet the growing and varied needs of consumers,” Tim Noel, chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare Medicare and retirement, announced.

UnitedHealth Group’s Medicare supplement plans include an on-demand nurse line, dental, hearing, and vision discount programs, and fitness programs.