Goodsurance

Medicare Advantage

Share of Medicare Advantage Plans Offering OTC Cards, Meal Credits, and Ride Benefits Fell Again in 2026, KFF Reports

A KFF analysis of CMS plan data shows the portion of individual Medicare Advantage plans offering over-the-counter allowances, meal benefits, and non-medical transportation each declined between 2025 and 2026 as insurers managed rising medical costs.

By the Goodsurance editorial teamJuly 26, 2026

The supplemental extras that many beneficiaries associate with Medicare Advantage plans, including over-the-counter shopping cards, meal delivery, and non-medical transportation, became less common in 2026, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of CMS landscape data.

The share of individual Medicare Advantage plans offering an OTC allowance fell to 66 percent in 2026 from 73 percent in 2025. The share offering a meal benefit dropped to 57 percent from 65 percent. Plans offering remote access technologies such as connected health devices fell to 48 percent from 53 percent, and transportation for non-medical purposes declined to 24 percent from 30 percent.

KFF data show OTC cards, meal benefits, and ride credits are now offered by fewer Medicare Advantage plans than in 2025 as insurers trim costs.

Core medical benefits remained near-universal. More than 98 percent of individual Medicare Advantage plans continued to offer vision, dental, and hearing benefits in 2026. Special Needs Plans showed greater supplemental stability than standard individual plans, with 94 percent of SNPs still including an OTC allowance.

KFF traces the pullback to financial pressure on insurers. Carriers faced higher-than-expected medical costs in 2024 and 2025, and the federal benchmark payment increase for 2026 plans was modest. Plans that offered generous extras in prior years trimmed them to manage margins.

For 2026 enrollees, the change is already in effect. Beneficiaries whose plans dropped these credits for 2026 cannot recover them until the annual enrollment period opens October 15. Comparing plan summaries of benefits before that window closes December 7 will show whether a 2027 plan restores extras that were cut.

In plain words

Many Medicare Advantage plans used to offer free extras: a card to buy over-the-counter medicine, meal delivery, or free rides to non-doctor appointments. In 2026, fewer plans include these perks.

A research group called KFF looked at the plan data. Here is what they found. The share of plans with an OTC shopping card fell from 73 percent to 66 percent. Plans with meal delivery dropped from 65 percent to 57 percent. Plans with free non-medical rides fell from 30 percent to 24 percent.

Almost all plans still offer vision, dental, and hearing. Those extras did not change much.

Insurance companies cut these extras because medical costs went up and the government did not raise plan payments as much as expected. Special Needs Plans still tend to offer more extras than regular plans.

If your plan dropped a perk, you cannot get it back until open enrollment in October. Starting October 15, you can compare plans and switch to one that offers the extras you want for 2027.

Understand the basics first

Source: KFF
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