Medicare Advantage (MA) plans offer supplemental benefits that are not included in traditional Medicare. But many enrollees don’t use the extra benefits. In 2024, three of 10 MA beneficiaries reported not using any supplemental benefits in the past year. This has raised questions about whether enrollees are aware of their benefits, if benefits are aligned with enrollees’ needs, if the benefits are leading to better health outcomes, and whether payments to plans for funding these benefits are being used most efficiently.

To learn more, the Commonwealth Fund and SSRS surveyed MA enrollees. The survey explored beneficiaries’ use of supplemental benefits, their reasons for not using them, and their views and preferences regarding notifications about unused benefits.