Dual Eligible Beneficiaries’ Grocery Supplemental Benefit Use and Health Care Utilization
Use of a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan’s newly offered grocery card benefit among dual eligible enrollees was associated with an increase in the likelihood of annual wellness, primary care provider (PCP), and specialist visits and an increased number of office and specialist visits.
MA plans must cover the same benefits as Traditional Medicare, but most plans also offer extras, known as supplemental benefits. Recently, these offerings have expanded to include benefits that address social needs, such as food insecurity. Addressing food insecurity, which is associated with more costly patterns of healthcare utilization, can also improve health outcomes.
This difference-in-difference study, published in the American Journal of Managed Care, examined the use of a grocery card benefit newly offered by Elevance Health-affiliated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans in 2022. It found increases in office visits among enrollees using the grocery card benefit, with greater increases among those who used more than half of the allowed grocery card dollars.
Related Public Policy Research
Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits Are Associated with Improved Health Quality
The use of Medicare Advantage (MA) supplemental benefits—in particular, food and transportation benefits—is associated with improved healthcare quality, especially in managing diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. This analysis of dual eligible special needs plan enrollees highlights the importance of maintaining flexibility in offering non-medical benefits to support complex health and social needs.
Medicare Advantage Supplemental Benefits and Improved Healthcare Use
Under the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, private plans can offer additional benefits not covered by traditional Medicare known as supplemental benefits. This paper examines the association between supplemental benefit use and healthcare utilization among non-dual eligible and dual eligible MA members.
Medicare Advantage (MA) plans offer additional benefits not covered by traditional Medicare known as supplemental benefits. This paper examines the use of supplemental benefits overall and by demographic characteristics of MA members, demonstrating that supplemental benefits can address health-related social needs.
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