A new report conducted by Avalere Health on behalf of Better Medicare Alliance reveals shifts in Medicare Advantage benefit offerings for 2026.
The analysis is based on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2025-2026 Medicare Advantage Landscape files and Q4 2025-Q1 2026 Plan Benefit Package.
Next year, there will be 5,020 Medicare Advantage plans and most will continue to offer vision, dental, and hearing benefits. But Better Medicare Alliance, a research and advocacy organization that supports Medicare Advantage, said that due to regulatory and financial constraints, plans are facing higher costs that will result in fewer supplemental benefits in 2026.
“These pressures not only limit innovation and flexibility but also risk undermining the stability and value that beneficiaries have come to expect from Medicare Advantage coverage,” Better Medicare Alliance said in a blog post. “Without meaningful policy adjustments, continued strain on plans could lead to a narrowing of options and increased financial burden for millions of older adults and people with disabilities who depend on these benefits.”
The report found that in 2026:
- There will be a drop in the number of individual plans that offer fitness, meals, nutrition, over-the-counter items, and transportation benefits.
- But the number of plans that offer acupuncture, in-home support services, and telehealth will increase.
- The percentage of individual plans that will offer at least one Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill will decrease in 2026.
- Fewer plans will offer lower out-of-pocket costs to members via cost-sharing.
- The number of plans that offer a reduced Part B premium will also decrease.
Better Medicare Alliance intends to publish a comprehensive summary of the findings. Meanwhile, the organization said it will continue to urge policy makers to protect the affordability and stability of Medicare Advantage.