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Medicare Advantage

Starting in 2027, Medicare Advantage Plans Are No Longer Required to Tell Enrollees About Benefits They Have Not Used

A consumer-protection rule that required Medicare Advantage plans to send mid-year notices about unused supplemental benefits was rescinded in the 2027 Medicare Advantage final rule, placing the responsibility for tracking dental allowances, over-the-counter cards, and similar extras on enrollees.

By the Goodsurance editorial teamAugust 8, 2026

Medicare Advantage plans will no longer be required to alert enrollees when they have unused supplemental benefits beginning in 2027. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rescinded the mid-year notification requirement as part of the 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule finalized April 2, 2026.

The original rule had required plans to send a mid-year statement identifying supplemental benefits, such as dental allowances, over-the-counter item cards, gym memberships, or meal credits, that an enrollee had not yet used. The intent was to help enrollees take advantage of benefits they were already entitled to under their plan.

Starting in 2027, your Medicare Advantage plan does not have to remind you when you have unused dental, OTC, or fitness benefits. Here is how to keep track on your own.

A KFF analysis published May 1, 2026 identified the rollback as one of several consumer-protection changes in the 2027 rule. Plans that choose to send mid-year notifications voluntarily may still do so, but there is no longer a federal requirement.

The change applies alongside separate cuts to supplemental benefit offerings. The share of Medicare Advantage plans providing over-the-counter item allowances, meal credits, and transportation benefits fell again in 2026, according to KFF data. Enrollees who want to confirm what benefits remain available under their plan, and how much they have used, can typically check their plan's member portal, call the customer service number on their insurance card, or review the Summary of Benefits document their plan is required to provide.

The mid-year notification change is separate from the Annual Notice of Change, which Medicare Advantage plans are still required to mail to enrollees by September 30 each year.

In plain words

In 2026, Medicare Advantage plans had to send enrollees a note during the year telling them about any extras they had not used yet, such as dental visits or an over-the-counter item card. Starting in 2027, plans do not have to do this anymore. The government removed that rule. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you will need to check your plan's website or call customer service yourself to see which benefits you still have and whether you have used them.

Understand the basics first

Source: KFF
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