FAIRFAX, Va., Feb. 26 -- George Mason University issued the following news release:

Today, more than half of older Americans receive their Medicare coverage through private Medicare Advantage plans. In 2020, that program made a sweeping policy shift, allowing those plans to offer supplemental benefits beyond traditional medical care, including groceries, meal deliveries, utilities, transportation, pest control, and air filters.

Now, with an approximately $3 million R01 grant from the National Institute on Aging, George Mason University health economist Jeah Jung will lead a national study to evaluate whether those benefits reduce adverse health events and improve functional outcomes.

"Health-related social needs, such as food security, h...