Nih Grant Funds Evaluation Of Expanded Medicare Advantage Benefits

Today, much than half of older Americans person their Medicare sum done backstage Medicare Advantage plans. In 2020, that programme made a sweeping argumentation shift, allowing those plans to connection supplemental benefits beyond accepted aesculapian care, including groceries, repast deliveries, utilities, transportation, (seed) disease control, and aerial filters. 

Now, pinch an astir $3 cardinal R01 assistance from nan National Institute connected Aging, George Mason University wellness economist Jeah Jung will lead a nationalist study to measure whether those benefits trim adverse wellness events and amended functional outcomes. 

"Health-related societal needs, specified arsenic nutrient security, lodging quality, reliable transportation, and societal support, are progressively recognized arsenic important contributors to individuals' health," said Jung, a professor successful nan Department of Health Administration and Policy. Despite nan wide rollout of nan caller inaugural to meet those needs, she said, "there is presently nary accusation aliases grounds of really galore group are utilizing it, really they're utilizing it, and whether it's really bringing nan intended outcomes." 

As of 2025, 55% of Medicare beneficiaries, aliases 34.4 cardinal Americans, were enrolled successful Medicare Advantage, nan backstage replacement to accepted Medicare. According to Jung's information analysis, much than 30% of Medicare Advantage plans adopted non-medical supplemental benefits by 2025. Meanwhile, she recovered that much than 90% of dual-eligible typical needs plans-serving low-income beneficiaries enrolled successful some Medicare and Medicaid-adopted the benefits. 

"This is simply a really large-scale inaugural by Medicare to reside unmet societal needs and spot whether that helps support and amended beneficiaries' wellness outcomes arsenic well," Jung said. "With an finance of this size, we want to spot grounds connected really it's moving and who it's reaching truthful nan argumentation tin beryllium refined successful nan future." 

Using unafraid Medicare administrative data, Jung's five-year task will analyse whether nan readiness of non-medical benefits is associated pinch changes successful emergency section visits, hospitalizations, and whether diligent tin stay successful their homes and communities alternatively than participate nursing homes. The study will besides analyse who uses nan caller benefits, and whether uptake differs by demographics, specified arsenic race, ethnicity, sex, wellness risks, and area-level socioeconomic factors. 

The task will besides see contributions from Emily Ihara, professor and chair of nan Department of Social Work successful nan College of Public Health. Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University and Dartmouth College are serving arsenic co-investigators. 

Key takeaways

• A $3 cardinal National Institute connected Aging assistance will money a nationalist study of Medicare Advantage's use description into societal supports specified arsenic nutrient assistance, transportation, and different non-medical benefits. 

• Led by George Mason University wellness economist Jeah Jung, nan five-year study will usage Medicare administrative information to analyse whether these benefits trim emergency visits, hospitalizations, and nursing location entry. 

• The findings will supply nationalist grounds connected who is utilizing these benefits and whether this large-scale national effort is moving arsenic intended.