Medicare Advantage Plans Could Trim Dental, Vision, and Gym Perks in 2027 - Here's Why

While Medicare Advantage plans typically help Americans keep more cash in their wallet while accessing the health care they need, valuable perks could be cut from these plans in 2027. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a 2.48% average payment increase to Medicare Advantage insurers for 2027, and insurers are signaling that the increase isn't enough and that they may have to cut perks from plans.

Here's what you should know if you or a loved one are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.

Why CMS's 2027 payment increase matters

The 2027 Medicare Advantage increase for insurers adds more than $13 billion in federal spending for the plans. When risk score trends due to factors like population changes are accounted for, it equates to a 4.98% increase. On average, payments to insurers who manage Medicare Advantage plans should increase by an average of 2.48% in 2027.

Insurance executives have already spoken out and warned that the rates are not high enough to keep up with rising medical costs.

Which Medicare Advantage perks could disappear?

The extra perks that distinguish Medicare Advantage plans from traditional Medicare plans may be most at risk of cuts. As 2027 Medicare Advantage plans are finalized, plans may feature higher annual caps and fewer plans may offer comprehensive dental coverage. Some plans might eliminate coverage of routine eye exams or hearing aids, and others might reduce their transportation and in-home support offerings.

The exact changes may vary depending on the competition in each plan's market. Where plans face steep competition, they might still offer some of these popular benefits. However, those benefits might feature more restrictive usage limits or higher copays.

What major insurers are saying

Humana, the second-largest Medicare Advantage insurer, has announced plans for large-scale cutbacks because the 2027 rate falls short of health care cost increases. While Humana's exact cuts aren't yet finalized, they might include cuts to gym and fitness memberships, enhanced dental and vision coverage, meal delivery and grocery allowance benefits, and more.

Humana and other major insurers, like UnitedHealthcare and CVS Health's Aetna, may choose to cut benefits or could even choose to stop offering coverage to certain regions or states in an effort to save money. Medicare Advantage enrollees might be left with fewer plan options and might have to choose from plans that offer reduced coverage.

The cuts are not finalized, but several insurers have indicated benefit reductions are possible if current payment rates remain unchanged. Actual changes won't be identified until the plans publish their Annual Notice of Change documents this fall.

Why Medicare Advantage plan cuts matter

Medicare Advantage plan cuts have the potential to impact millions of Americans. According to KFF data, Medicare Advantage enrollment has increased over the past 20 years. Since 2023, more than half of beneficiaries have been enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.

However, KFF data also indicates that there's already been a decrease in the perks that make Medicare Advantage plans attractive options. From 2025 to 2026, the share of plans that offered perks like over-the-counter benefits, meal benefits, remote access technologies, transportation benefits, and bathroom safety devices declined.

Medicare Advantage plans are also highly concentrated among a small number of insurance providers, with United Health Group being the largest, and Humana being another major supplier. Since Humana has already expressed plans to cut perks, if other major insurers follow suit, the effect of reduced perks could be widespread and might impact the majority of Medicare Advantage plans.

How to prepare during Medicare open enrollment

With potential changes coming to Medicare Advantage plans, it's important to stay informed about your current plan's coverage. Be sure to read your Annual Notice of Change, which arrives in September; this notice spells out exactly what your plan is dropping or altering for the coming year. It may help you to determine whether the plan still meets your needs, or whether it's time to shop for a new plan.

Use the fall Medicare Advantage open enrollment window from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to compare plans or to consider whether it makes sense to switch. You may make changes to your coverage each year during this period, and any changes you make go into effect on Jan. 1 of the next year.

Bottom line

To get the maximum value out of your Medicare Advantage plan, consider which perks you actually use and make sure the plan offers them in 2027. Confirm that your doctors and medications stay covered, and don't assume that your 2027 plan mirrors this year's. It's always a good idea to compare plans annually anyway, but potential coverage changes make shopping around even more important this fall.

Add the open enrollment dates to your calendar now to ensure you don't miss out. Knowing you've thoroughly researched the plans and chosen the right Medicare Advantage plan for you may help eliminate some money stress in 2027.

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