The author is director of the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance (AAMSI) and receives a salary for conducting research and consumer educational efforts. AAMSI does not earn any commissions but is supported by insurance professionals who market Medicare insurance products.
As of March 2023, nearly 30 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part C plan. This marks an increase of 1.5 million beneficiaries over the prior year.
One of the reasons for the growing popularity of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans is the inclusion of additional benefits. Most are made available at no added charge.
A recent analysis by AAMSI shares the 10 most popular additional Medicare Advantage benefits offered by individual MA plans in 2023. The most popular include vision benefits and free memberships to local gyms or other fitness programs. Both of these benefits were offered by 99 percent of the plans. Hearing and dental benefits are offered by 97 percent of the plans according to the analysis.
While the vast majority of Medicare Advantage plans now offer these free benefits, the actual amount of benefits can vary significantly. For example, some free dental benefits may limit coverage to annual check-ups while others can include significant coverage for less typical but costly dental care. This could include covering some of the costs for implants and other dental services.
The typical senior will have around 30-to-40 different Medicare Advantage plans to choose from, depending on where they live. In some counties, as many as 70 or 80 different Medicare plans are available according to AAMSI. However, in some 40 US counties no plans are currently offered in 2023.