Medicare Advantage plans tout Apple Watches, Fitbits, meal delivery and other cool perks in 2020

On a Monday morning, the regular crowd shuffles into a coffee shop near Century Village in Deerfield Beach for doughnuts and discussion. Today’s topic is Medicare open enrollment and the banter is lively.

A gray-haired man with a baseball cap and newspaper tucked under his arm says he wants to pay as little as possible for his medications and doctors. “I just want to make sure everything is covered,” says Ramon Gardia, 80. A man with a wobbly gait and persistent cough wants a plan that will pay for transportation to his doctor’s office in Miami. “It’s 80 miles round trip; that’s a really long drive,” says Robert Miller, 81.

The coffee club has more this year to mull over than the usual Medicare Advantage plan choices. For 2020, insurers are offering extra benefits in response to new flexibility from the federal government that allows them to finance almost anything that affects health. Along with the usual medical and drug coverage, plans are advertising perks such as bathroom grab bars, transportation to doctor’s appointments, adult day care, and even in-home pest control.

During the annual open enrollment period through Dec. 7, millions of Medicare beneficiaries, including 4.5 million in Florida, will decide whether to keep or change their Medicare Advantage plan, or enroll in original Medicare. These supplemental benefits -- on top of low premiums and traditional coverage for routine exams and hospital visits -- are another way for insurers to lure new members in a competitive and lucrative Medicare Advantage plan landscape.

One plan offered in South Florida, Devoted Health, will give its members an Apple Watch to track their steps and heart rate, or access to a personal trainer. CarePlus is offering a $50 monthly allowance toward the purchase of select over-the-counter pain relievers, cough and cold medicines, allergy medications, and first aid/medical supplies. Other plans will provide members a Fitbit health tracker or home fitness kit, an allowance to help care for a service dog, and access to acupuncture or massages.

“These benefits are focused on keeping people well and can save the beneficiary and the plan a lot of money in the long run," said Jeff Johnson, AARP Florida State Director. "It is still incumbent on seniors to figure out what works for them, but these expansive benefits are enticing.”

Medicare by the numbers","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"_id":"R5UOKKVDABAKNCYUHT7OQ27BJA

In Florida: Medicare enrollees as of August 2019: 4.525 million.","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"_id":"FL7VW6UIKFBLLPGZ3C36M6VFAA

Original Medicare: 2.417 million (53.4%)/ Medicare Advantage plans: 2.108 million (46.6%)","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"_id":"QWEITNJLGBGHXOGQWYPGYBYK7Q

In Broward: 323,999 county-wide Medicare enrollees as of August 2019:","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"_id":"VWCKRQUADVE2HD5KMACJO6AKK4

138,122 Original Medicare (42.6%), 185,877 Medicare Advantage (57.3%)","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"_id":"YTXC4SMRCFBM5NERKXLWRFG7NA

In Palm Beach: 322,413 countywide enrollees as of August 2019:","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"_id":"VHNIJNK5PNDKTLEMRXVVRYNISM

192,652 Original Medicare (59.8%), 129,761 Medicare Advantage (40.2%)","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"_id":"MRJ4VOVOQRGXFN25QTIMKZJH4U

Medicare Advantage plans are big business for insurers and rule changes are allowing them to up their offerings. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) first allowed insurers to offer supplemental benefits in the 2019 plan year, but only 3% of plans took advantage. For the 2020 year, CMS said more than 500 plans are participating with many going further in what they offer. In addition, more than half of all plans will offer additional telehealth benefits.

Many of the new benefits in Advantage plans are tailored to people with chronic conditions and recognize a variety of factors that affect health. With these new supplemental benefits, a senior with diabetes could get a glucose monitor, personal nutritional counseling and diabetes education. For someone with heart disease, a plan could provide heart-healthy produce, and someone with asthma could receive home air cleaners or carpet cleaning service.

Also beginning in 2020, some Advantage plans will pay for home improvements to prevent falls, such as permanent ramps or wider hallways and doors to accommodate wheelchairs or walkers.

Sifting through the offerings can be complicated, said David A. Lipschutz, associate director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy. “Not everyone will be eligible for them and you don’t know if you get them until you are actually in the plan. That could make making an informed decision more difficult."

Bright Health, whose Advantage plans are new to Palm Beach, Orlando and Daytona in 2020, has both an HMO and PPO. Both plans cover perks such as therapeutic shoes or glucose monitors for diabetic patients, transportation to medical appointments, flu shots and a fitness center membership.

“We are seeing that benefits they most like is our debit card for over-the-counter medicines and transportation to doctor’s appointments,” said Amy Knapp, senior vice president, markets for Bright Health.

“People in Florida are sophisticated purchasers," Knapp said. “They understand their benefits and the differences between plans. We are carefully looking at how they value each aspect of our offerings and what motivates people to choose Bright Health.”

Knapp said Bright Health is hoping to enter the Miami-Dade and Broward county markets in 2021.

Need help selecting the right plan?","additional_properties":{"comments":[],"inline_comments":[]},"_id":"4EJQASJSRJESFAE6UJNEQKZQHE

Florida’s Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Elders (SHINE) volunteer counselors can give you unbiased guidance and answer your questions. To find your local counseling sites, visit floridashine.org/counseling-sites or call 800-963-5337.

To compare plans online within your county, go to Medicare’s Plan Finder at medicare.gov/find-a-plan. You also can call Medicare at 800-633-4227 or visit online at Medicare.gov.

The Medicare Rights Center works to ensure access to affordable health care for older adults and people with disabilities. Call 800-333-4114 or visit medicarerights.org.

In between sips of coffee, Miller, of Deerfield Beach, says because of his bad lungs and long list of medications, he will consider all his choices during open enrollment.

“I got my [Medicare] book and I’m looking through it," he said.

Alicia Core, 78, however, will stick with her current plan. “I don’t use medications, my doctors are on my plan ... I’m happy,” she said.

Many Medicare beneficiaries do not seem aware of the new, extra benefits in Advantage plans this year, and not everyone will qualify to use them, said Edith Gooden-Thompson, Broward County area volunteer coordinator with SHINE, a statewide organization to help seniors with health insurance matters.

“There are some benefits, like a meal delivery option, that will be useful for those who can qualify," she said.

While some of the perks are tempting, Johnson of AARP offers this advice: “Make sure whatever plan you consider has coverage in the services you know you need.”

Cindy Krischer Goodman can be reached at [email protected], 954-356-4661, Twitter and Instagram @cindykgoodman

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