CMS Updates Medicare.gov To Simplify, Support Navigation

CMS has updated its website, Medicare.gov, to include new features such as highlighting pages that answer popular questions and spotlighting key steps that consumers should take related to Medicare coverage.

“CMS is making Medicare.gov easier to use and more helpful for people seeking to understand their Medicare coverage, which is an essential part of staying hea­­lthy,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. 

The updates primarily impact the Medicare website’s home page.

The site also increased its pricing information for Medigap—or Medicare Supplement Insurance—policies. CMS indicated that greater access to pricing information could help individuals compare their coverage options.

These new features were largely the result of consumers’ feedback, the agency explained.

“We are committed to listening to the people we serve as we design and deliver new, personalized online resources and expanded customer support options for people with Medicare coverage and those who support them,” Administrator Brooks-LaSure said.

The agency indicated that the public could expect more changes over the next few months. Specifically, there may be adjustments to the Medicare Plan Finder and Medicare Account landing pages.

These latest updates continue CMS efforts to make the Medicare website more consumer-friendly. In the past, the agency simplified the site’s language in order to make it more understandable. 

The site also included step-by-step guidance for new Medicare enrollees. The “Get started with Medicare” section gathers personal information from enrollees in order to help them narrow down the Medicare coverage option that might be best for them. Making the site more user-friendly can be as simple as creating a new, modern header for the site.

“CMS continues to use feedback from Medicare.gov users, along with human-centered design principles, to explore and plan future enhancements to the website and is committed to expanding personalization to create an optimized customer experience for people with Medicare and those who help them,” the press release concluded.

Medicare.gov is an essential tool for Medicare enrollees as they explore their coverage options. 

Enrollees can receive information about their options through agents, and these agents play a significant role in connecting enrollees with Medicare Advantage plans. However, experts have pointed out that agents are not financially incentivized to share all of a beneficiary’s plan options with them. 

As a result, beneficiaries may rely on Medicare.gov as a crucial resource for providing the full range of potential Medicare plans. The CMS updates can be critical to ensuring that beneficiaries can easily navigate this resource.

In October 2021, CMS updated the Medicare Plan Finder to prepare for the open enrollment season. 

Stakeholders have recommended that CMS standardize the Medicare Plan Finder’s format and language in order to help beneficiaries compare Medicare Advantage plan benefits, specifically these plans’ supplemental benefit offerings. Additionally, stakeholders suggested that CMS share more supplemental benefits information on the Medicare Plan Finder.

The Medicare website and the Medicare Plan Finder are essential tools for beneficiaries who are looking to access coverage from the highest performing Medicare health plans.