Depending on the Medicare Advantage plan you’re enrolled in, you may be entitled to supplemental benefits that help ease your asthma or COPD symptoms. These supplemental benefits aren’t medical in nature, but rather, aim to improve quality of life while alleviating medical symptoms and promoting better overall health.
If you have asthma or COPD, and your Advantage plan offers supplemental benefits, you may be entitled to air purifiers or filters for your home that lend to better breathing. You may also be entitled to carpet cleanings to reduce allergens and irritants that could more easily trigger asthma attacks. (But note that a 2022 Better Medicare Alliance analysis noted that only 166 plans offered “indoor air quality and services” nationwide – and that’s out of thousands of MA plans.)
Your specific coverage will depend on your Advantage plan, though it’s worth noting that if yours doesn’t offer supplemental benefits, it could pay to switch to a plan that does. Keep in mind, however, that Original Medicare doesn’t offer these added benefits. (They’re a feature of Advantage plans only right now.)