Over 90% of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries believe that supplemental benefits can improve health and save money, according to a Nov. 20 Humana Healthcare Research survey.
Humana’s research organization, coupled with input from the University of Pennsylvania, surveyed 5,979 of the insurer’s MA beneficiaries to gain insights on the benefits they leveraged in 2024.
The Better Medicare Alliance and Avalere Health previously reported that the percentage of individual plans offering fitness, meals, nutrition, over-the-counter items and transportation as supplemental benefits is on the decline going into 2026.
Benefits are not cheap, costing the government an estimated $86 billion in 2025, according to a report from the Medicare Payment and Advisory Commission. Not all recipients use their benefits, either.
But Andrea DeVries, PhD, a director of research within Humana Healthcare Research and the study’s lead researcher, told Becker’s that, even if a beneficiary did not use a particular benefit in one year, it does not downplay the value they derive from it. Dr. DeVries mentioned her father as an example, who had the option to leverage a transportation benefit when he could not otherwise drive.
“Not being able to drive to oncology appointments was really stressful for him, so having a transportation supplemental benefit through his Medicare Advantage plan was really valuable,” she said. “That’s part of why people, all people, have insurance. It provides peace of mind, even if in any given time period you’re not using the benefit.”
Dr. DeVries also emphasized how these benefits can contribute to holistic care.
“Supplemental benefits are really important as to how we’re thinking about whole health within our society,” she said.
Here are six things to know from the study:
1. Ninety-four percent of respondents agreed, or strongly agreed, that these benefits can better one’s health, and 91% agreed, or strongly agreed, that supplemental benefits can save them money.
2. Forty-one percent of beneficiaries who did not use a benefit did not utilize it because they did not need it that year. Other reasons for not using benefits: 22% lacked awareness and 14% had issues with benefit use or coverage.
3. For all seven of the tracked benefits, at least 74% of users valued each.
4. The most popular benefit was the health options allowance, with 90% of respondents reporting use in the previous year. Hearing benefits were the least commonly used.
5. Unlike the other benefits, about one-third of the participants who did not use the SilverSneakers fitness benefit said they were not aware of it. Dr. DeVries said a study is underway with Pennsylvania State University to better strategize on outreach.
6. Twenty-one percent of those who did not harness their dental benefits cited problems or limitations with coverage. Dr. DeVries said Humana is using this insight “to inform decisions within the health plan.”
