(BPT) - Whether you're enrolling for Medicare for the first time or you've had it for years, it's important to know that Medicare Advantage plans - which include more benefits than Original Medicare, like prescriptions, dental, vision and hearing - can change from one year to the next. On top of that, your own medical needs may change from year to year, too. For these reasons, it's a good idea to evaluate your current healthcare needs and take a look at available health plans from your carrier and others during the 2024 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period: Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, 2023.

All of the major health insurance carriers providing Medicare Advantage plans include a variety of benefits that may be just what you're looking for to help keep you healthy - and help you save.

Here are just a few highlights from six major carriers that have updated plans for the 2024 plan year.

UnitedHealthcare^®:

• All standard Medicare Advantage plans will offer $0 copays for: virtual visits, mammograms, colonoscopies and routine dental, vision and hearing exams
• UCard^®, which serves as a traditional plan ID card as well as rewards card, has been enhanced to let members shop with the card for covered products and services
• Standard plans cover over 2,000 hearing aids and devices not covered by Original Medicare, with new coverage for OTC devices added in 2024
• Members with a vision benefit will maintain $0 annual eye exams and an eyewear allowance for frames or contacts with standard lenses covered in full

Cigna Healthcare:

• Every service market has a $0 premium plan, and most plans feature a $0 copay for primary care
• Most markets offer a plan with a rebate toward your Medicare Part B monthly premium
• All plans offer dental, vision and hearing benefits, plus home delivery of meals following hospitalization and access to fitness benefits
• An enhanced hearing benefit covers hearing aids with predictable copays, and routine hearing exams

Elevance:

• More affordable access to care, with 9 out of 10 plans at a $0 monthly premium
• Nearly all Medicare Advantage Plans will offer a $0 copay for Primary Care Provider visits
• More plans with improved prescription drug coverage - with more top drugs at a $0 copay
• An allowance toward the purchase of over-the-counter hearing aids on many plans

Humana:

• 100% of Medicare Advantage plans include dental, vision and hearing coverage
• 100% of Dual-eligible Special Needs Plans include $0 copays on prescriptions
• 100% of Humana USAA Honor plans are designed with veterans in mind, and include a $0 premium and Part B giveback
• 100% of Medicare Advantage plans that offer preferred mail order have $0 Tier 1 and Tier 2 prescriptions for a three-month supply

Wellcare:

• New Wellcare Spendables card, a single card with preloaded funds available to use at over 55,000 nationwide retailers across Wellcare's 37-state footprint
• Express Scripts will be Wellcare's pharmacy benefits manager for 2024, bringing increased value to members to provide quality at the lowest cost
• Most plans offer dental, inclusive of preventive services members need most
• All plans cover Telehealth for many in-network key services with no out-of-pocket cost to members

Aetna:

• 84% of the country's population will have access to a Medicare Advantage plan with a $0 monthly premium
• All Medicare Advantage plans will include dental, vision and hearing benefits
• All Medicare Advantage plans will provide $0 copay for preventive and diagnostic colonoscopies at in-network providers
• All MAPD plans will offer $0 copays on Tier 1 drugs and a $0 deductible on all Tier 1 and Tier 2 drugs

If you find sorting through the new 2024 Medicare Advantage plans confusing, you're not alone. Consider consulting with a caring, trained and licensed insurance agent at ClearMatch™ Medicare, who can check to see what plans are available in your area - and if you're already in the right plan, they will tell you!

ClearMatch Medicare helps you find the right Medicare plan for you. Visit ClearMatchMedicare.com 24/7, or call 888-441-7031/TTY: 711, Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-10 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. for a free, no-obligation Medicare review.