Few Medicare Advantage insurers use new benefit flexibility to address the social determinants of health

Healthcare Finance News September 23, 2019
Susan Morse

Medicare Advantage plans are making limited use of new supplemental benefit flexibility provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to address the social determinants of health, according to a new study by the Urban Institute with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

There are several reasons why insurers aren’t taking full advantage. One large driver is the cost of the new benefit. With limited funding available, doing more means eliminating previously provided benefits.

Another is concern about investing in benefits that reach a small number of enrollees and therefore, have limited appeal to a broad group of beneficiaries.

One interviewee noted, the study said, “You don’t want to design benefits that speak to 1% of your population;...

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