I now have $60 per quarter grocery benefits without having applied for them, with Medicare Advantage. Standard?

RandomName said:
I called up my Medicare Advantage plan to ask how much drug store over-the-counter benefits I had left, and they informed me I now
also have $60 per quarter for groceries. I didn't complain, just accepted the fact. :)

Is it standard to get grocery bens without even applying? I am over 65, maybe that's why I got them.

Anyone know?

Thanks
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I know my husband received $75 a quarter for non prescription medical supplies. Bandages, Tylenol, toothpaste. He’ll be 67 and just recently came off my heslth insurance and now has Medicare. It’s a help. Not sure if there is a grocery benefit. I should check.
 

Knight said:
We don't have $60.00 for groceries in our advantage plan but we do have $105.00 each every quarter for medical related supplies. Believe it or not it's getting pretty difficult to spend $105.00 each every quarter.
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I so agree
 
hawkdon said:
Huh, I don't get anything extra from my Aetna...course
I just have standard scription ins from them...maybe better
check this out closer this year....
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Medicare advantage plans should really be called disadvantaged plans if you get a serious illness you may not get the treatment you need in time to save you. They offer free things to tempt people to take them. In many states you can’t return to regular Medicare after an initial 3 month period. Unless you can’t afford regular Medicare with a supplement don’t consider one.
 

Teacher Terry said:
Medicare advantage plans should really be called disadvantaged plans if you get a serious illness you may not get the treatment you need in time to save you. They offer free things to tempt people to take them. In many states you can’t return to regular Medicare after an initial 3 month period. Unless you can’t afford regular Medicare with a supplement don’t consider one.
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I think this depends on the company you choose. Like almost everything else in life, time invested in research pays off with Medicare.

As for switching, it's a federal program that permits people to change from Medicare Advantage from October 15 - December 7, and again from January 1 - March 31, in favor of Original Medicare. Or from Original Medicare to Advantage. Or from one plan to another.

You can also switch under other circumstances (you move, the medical offices close, etc.)
 
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StarSong said:
I think this depends on the company you choose. Like almost everything else in life, time invested in research pays off with Medicare.

As for switching, it's a federal program that permits people to change from Medicare Advantage from October 15 - December 7, and again from January 1 - March 31, in favor of Original Medicare. Or from Original Medicare to Advantage. Or from one plan to another.

You can also switch under other circumstances (you move, the medical offices close, etc.)
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You beat me to it...i think the company makes a difference.
 
Lexi said:
I know my husband received $75 a quarter for non prescription medical supplies. Bandages, Tylenol, toothpaste. He’ll be 67 and just recently came off my heslth insurance and now has Medicare. It’s a help. Not sure if there is a grocery benefit. I should check.
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Your husband is lucky getting a larger amount. I get $40 per quarter and like others, I have a hard time spending it.
 
StarSong said:
I think this depends on the company you choose. Like almost everything else in life, time invested in research pays off with Medicare.

As for switching, it's a federal program that permits people to change from Medicare Advantage from October 15 - December 7, and again from January 1 - March 31, in favor of Original Medicare. Or from Original Medicare to Advantage. Or from one plan to another.

You can also switch under other circumstances (you move, the medical offices close, etc.)
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In many states you can’t switch back to original Medicare without passing medical underwriting which is next to impossible for many retirees.

For instance if you have any type of heart problem even tachycardia which isn’t very serious you can’t pass medical underwriting. I literally spent months researching before I chose. This doesn’t apply to all states but it does to many.

There’s also the birthday rule in some states that will allow you to choose a lesser paying plan so in essence you can move down in benefits but never up if you can’t pass medical underwriting unless you live in one of the few states that actually allow you to change yearly. It’s very complicated.
 
We have had a Humana SNP Advantage plan for the last few years. It has covered anything that I needed for my heart (a-fib and heart failure), plus we had the OTC benefits, and $125 monthly for healthy groceries. (Doesn’t cover junk food like soda or candy, just real foods).
This year, a company called Devoted Health just expanded into Alabama, and they offered even better benefits than Humana was giving us, so we both transferred over to Devoted.
They are a 5-STAR rated company, so their reputation is excellent. I am looking forward to actually start using the new program next week when it goes into effect for us.

They also have special programs for people with ongoing medical conditions, so I will be joining the CHF program and see what all that entails. They also have support programs for diabetics, high blood pressure, and several other chronic conditions.
 
Anthem Advantage sent us both a bonus card last year BUT we could only order things from their catalog OR only use them at a CVS - which is in the next town. There was NOTHING I would buy so I just put it in a folder and left it there. DH activated his and ordered a few things from their catalog, the first quarter. We have never heard anything else from them so I don't even know if either card is still good. It just peeved me that they sent a worthless card, pretending that it was such a great benefit! I'm still annoyed.
 
My plan gives a $500 Mastercard that can be used for anything. If you get your annual Wellness exam, they add an additional $30 to the card and for a colonoscopy, it's $60. I never used my card for 2023, but my late husband used his for co-pays on 2 crowns he had done just before he died.
 
Colleen said:
My plan gives a $500 Mastercard that can be used for anything. If you get your annual Wellness exam, they add an additional $30 to the card and for a colonoscopy, it's $60. I never used my card for 2023, but my late husband used his for co-pays on 2 crowns he had done just before he died.
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You have a $500 MC that can be used for anything, and haven't used it? Why not?
 
We have used the OTC allowance for things like vitamins, mosquito repellant, and basic medical supplies, like band-aids, and cold meds like Vicks vaporub, or cough syrups.
They also had bathroom items like bathmats and those handles that you put up in the bathtub or shower for safety, as well as shower seats.

We both got our Fitbit with our OTC allowance also, and there are just a lot of other useful things which most of us spend money on that you can get with the allowance.
We order online and it is shipped to us, so it does not matter if there is an actual store close by or not.
It looks like Devoted also works with CVS. We have several of those here, but none close to where we live, so i will be ordering online and having it shipped, which is free, too.

The cards are good until the end of the year, and worthless after that, so if anyone still has unused cards for either OTC or food/etc; you need to be using them right away before they expire.
 
StarSong said:
You have a $500 MC that can be used for anything, and haven't used it? Why not?
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Because I haven't needed to use it....but, mostly, I forget about it. I was going to use it for new glasses but I always put myself last because my late husband needed to have an injection in his one knee, 2 crowns, and new hearing aids. His $500 was used for those things. Then he died in October and I haven't wanted to do anything. Maybe I'll get my glasses in 2024 :)
 
Colleen said:
Because I haven't needed to use it....but, mostly, I forget about it. I was going to use it for new glasses but I always put myself last because my late husband needed to have an injection in his one knee, 2 crowns, and new hearing aids. His $500 was used for those things. Then he died in October and I haven't wanted to do anything. Maybe I'll get my glasses in 2024 :)
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So it's not really for "anything," correct? Only for medical needs? Or could you use it at the grocery store?
 
StarSong said:
So it's not really for "anything," correct? Only for medical needs? Or could you use it at the grocery store?
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It is not for groceries, unfortunately, but it can be used for medical co-pays, OTC products, physical therapy, urgent care, x-rays, blood work, etc., and dental, vision, and hearing. I haven't needed to get any of those things done, so I haven't used my card.
 
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Colleen said:
It is not for groceries, unfortunately, but it can be used for medical co-pays, OTC products, physical therapy, urgent care, x-rays, blood work, etc., and dental, vision, and hearing. I haven't needed to get any of those things done, so I haven't used my card.
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Thanks for the explanation. I didn't know how those worked.
 
You would think $60 a quarter wouldn't buy much but I struggle to use all of mine. I usually hand the catalog to my adult kids and let them pick stuff to order.
 
Teacher Terry said:
Medicare advantage plans should really be called disadvantaged plans if you get a serious illness you may not get the treatment you need in time to save you. They offer free things to tempt people to take them. In many states you can’t return to regular Medicare after an initial 3 month period. Unless you can’t afford regular Medicare with a supplement don’t consider one.
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Collapsed spine pretty serious diagnosed & operated on the next day. Gall bladder inflamed causing problems with pancreas pretty serious diagnosed & operated on the next day. Liver bile duct blocked pretty serious diagnosed & operated on the next day.

Copay for spine $50.00 Copay for Gall bladder & liver bile duct $90.00 each. Not every advantage plan is the same. As for offers of free things like surgeries that cost into the hundreds of thousands of dollars I'll take that anytime. The peripheral of money to buy other supplies pales in comparison to the value of having the kind of care I get.
 
Knight said:
Collapsed spine pretty serious diagnosed & operated on the next day. Gall bladder inflamed causing problems with pancreas pretty serious diagnosed & operated on the next day. Liver bile duct blocked pretty serious diagnosed & operated on the next day.

Copay for spine $50.00 Copay for Gall bladder & liver bile duct $90.00 each. Not every advantage plan is the same. As for offers of free things like surgeries that cost into the hundreds of thousands of dollars I'll take that anytime. The peripheral of money to buy other supplies pales in comparison to the value of having the kind of care I get.
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I am glad you have a good one. I know 2 people only still alive because they could seek treatment out of state for a rare condition. They would be dead if they had an advantage plan. 60 minutes even ran a story on advantage plans and all the issues. Between regular Medicare and my supplement plan I haven’t paid a dime.
 
Teacher Terry said:
I am glad you have a good one. I know 2 people only still alive because they could seek treatment out of state for a rare condition. They would be dead if they had an advantage plan. 60 minutes even ran a story on advantage plans and all the issues. Between regular Medicare and my supplement plan I haven’t paid a dime.
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Between our two posts if others approaching the need to make a choice, we can hope our exchange gets them to be proactive in their choice.

I am fortunate that my previous employer as part of my retirement package pays for a HSA so that I have zero medical expenses.
 
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Knight said:
Between our two posts if others approaching the need to make a choice, we can hope our exchange gets them to be proactive in their choice.

I am fortunate that my previous employer as part of my retirement package pays for a HSA so that I have zero medical expenses.
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I also have a 195/month HSA from my employer. So I pay 145 out of pocket. In some states like New York it’s not such a big deal because every year you can switch between advantage and supplemental plans. However, in the majority of states it’s an irreversible decision if you can’t pass medical underwriting.

Recently Medicare instituted a new rule that allows you to try out an advantage plan for a short period of time before committing. I find it weird that it varies by state since it’s a federal program.
 
hawkdon said:
I got one of those Visa CARDS, also, not sure what I can do with it yet, have to peruse all the paperwork that came with it....
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It depends on what company you have. Some of the cards are only for OTC allowance, and those are usually not a lot, under $100 quarterly.
If you have a SNP plan (special needs plan) for an illness or income, then you may also get a Healthy Benefits card, which can be over $100 each month to use for healthy foods, and some can be used to help pay rent or utilities.
It is definitely good to familiarize yourself with the plan benefits so you can make use of them.

Our Devoted plan also includes one of those emergency alarms so you can call for help if you fall or something happens and you need 911.
They offer several varieties, including the neck medallion and a wrist one. We both already have an Apple Watch that does all of that, so I have not checked into this benefit, but I believe that it is something that every senior should have, especially if they live alone.
 
Here is a really short video that explains how the Healthy Benefits card works. This one is probably for UHC, but the benefits work basically the same for other insurance providers, and the benefit allowances vary by provider and by plans.
The video shows how you can use this benefit for your utilities, internet, and other monthly bills; so even if you are not using it for groceries, it is great for other things also.

 
@Happyflowerlady.....wow, that's pretty neat. Mine allows me $104 a quarter for CVS products. Usually their generic name. But, I was surprised when looking through their booklet that they also offer electric toothbrushes, blood pressure machines, water piks...in addition to their medical supplies.

I plan to use it this year, didn't use it much last year.
 

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