O T C Items Along With An Advantage Plan

Discussion in 'Money & Finances' started by Yvonne Smith, Jul 16, 2018.

  1. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    We have had a Medicare Advantage plan for several years now, and even though we knew that it also included a shopping benefit for many OTC drugs, and similar items, neither of us have ever even looked at it closely.
    My friend, Evelyn, who also has one of these plans, was telling me how she uses the OTC shopping benefit and stocks up on items that we would normally just purchase at the store if we needed them.
    It includes things like vitamins, pain-relief meds like ibuprofen and aspirin, fiber, muscle rub (Bengay), and things like that.
    There are also higher priced items, such as bathtub seats and handles, and a good selection of things like knee and ankle wraps, and much more.

    I imagine each company would offer a different catalog, but probably many similar items. The amount you are allowed to spend also varies from company to company.
    We have Cigna Healthsprings and they offer $75 per quarter, and what you do not use accumulates up to the end of the year.
    However, my friend , Evelyn, has United Health Care, and they give her $250 per quarter, so a lot more each year than our Cigna plan has.

    I tried ordering for the first time this morning, and found it was very simple. Yesterday, I looked through the online catalog, wrote down the item number and name of each product I wanted to order, as well as the call-in phone number.
    Today, when I called, all I had to do was give my name and address for verification (and so they know where to ship my order), and then give them the item number for each product I ordered. It is shipped free and should be here in about a week.

    If you have an Advantage plan, this is a benefit that you might want to check out.
    It might also come with other medicare supplement plans, and maybe other people here know more about that possibility ?
     
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  2. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    Ive never used mine but will start...I always forget about it.

    Why pay for OTC when I can get $50 a month for free?

    Thanks for the reminder Yvonne.
     
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  3. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    WOW ! I am so impressed ! I just unloaded a whole box .... $250 worth.... of health and medical supplies. We have new containers of vitamins, all kinds of medical ointments, bandaids (the nice BIG ones), aloe gel, mosquito spray, foot support for when my foot goes whacko, and all sorts of other great things.
    I actually got a double supply of these because the Cigna Healthsprings has a $75 per quarter allowance, which was now $225 since I hadn’t ever used it and it accumulates during the calendar year.
    So I ordered that before I canceled the Cigna, and then signed up with United Health Care.
    UHC offers a $250 benefit per quarter, lots more than Cigna did, and once I changed over, I was eligible for that OTC benefit, too.
    That just came today, a huge box of goodies !
    Bobby ordered from Cigna also, and now he is going to change over to UHC tomorrow, so he will also have the OTC benefit from there. We are going to be set with all of the medical and health stuff we need for a while, and can order again in October, another $250 each.
    Anyone who has a Medicare Advantage should check and see if you have this benefit right away ! We have had it for several years now, and just never bothered to order; but now we will for sure be using that benefit.
     
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  4. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    I have something similar with my supplemental and have never used it.

    I'll have to look into it....don't even know where I put my catalogue:(
     
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  5. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    You can order online probably.
    With the Cigna Healthsprings, they had an online catalog, and then I wrote down the product numbers and called in the order.
    With UHC, it is even simpler, there is a regular website with a catalog, sectioned by categories, and you just look through the catalog and add the product to your cart, just like other online shopping. It tells you how much “money” you have left; so you can tell how much you have to spend.

    Whichever plan you have should have a regular website, @Chrissy Cross .
    Just go to the website, and register, and then it will show you what benefits come with your plan, and how to use them. That way, you can use everything, even if you do not know where you put the books they give you.
     
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  6. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    Ok...thanks @Yvonne Smith!

    My catalogue is probably outdated anyway.
     
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  7. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    Look on your insurance card, and it should have the member website.
     
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  8. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I just wanted to add a little update here.
    It looks like we might be changing companies again this fall. When we went in to talk with our insurance agent and get Bobby changed over from Cigna to United Health Care, he told us that Humana is restructuring their plans and their benefits, and they will have a whole new package coming out in October.
    He said that he can’t talk about it with anyone until it actually comes out; but from what he has seen, it is going to be much better for people than any of the other companies are offering.
    Probably, the same plan, or at least a similar upgrade, will be all over the United States, and it would be worthwhile to call your health insurance agent and ask if you would benefit by changing companies in October when the new plan comes out.

    For some reason, Cigna dropped our PCP, so we would have had to change over anyway in order to keep our same doctor, and I imagine that Cigna has lost a lot of people like us , who didn’t want to change doctors.
    UHC has a lot better benefits overall than Cigna did, anyway. The vision and dental benefits are a lot better and cover more things, so it is worth more than just the OTC benefit.
     
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  9. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    This year, we changed over to a Devoted Health Advantage plan, and it has even better benefits than our Humana plan had. Devoted has just started here in Alabama, but is already in quite a few other states, so if anyone is thinking of changing their medicare plan, you might want to see if Devoted is available in your state .

    One of the things that i really like about the Advantage plans is the OTC benefit , and the Healthy Benefits card. The Healthy Benefits card can be used for food, paying utilities, internet, and things like that and it is easy to use.
    I just listed the card on my walmart payment account, and paid for my online groceries with it. I can’t set up the new one until we start in January, but it gives us more grocery money, and more OTC benefits (which we mainly use for vitamins ) as well, and can be used for several different stores.

    Devoted also has special programs for people with long term illnesses, like heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more. They also give you a choice of medical emergency monitors, like the ones you wear around your neck, or a wrist one. Since we have Apple Watch , I haven’t looked at that benefit, but I think that a medical alert is something that every senior should have, especially when they live alone.

    This is a really short video explaining how the Healthy Benefit cards work. I think this one is UHC, but they work pretty much the same way for all plans, just different amount of benefits from different companies.

     
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  10. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Just so I understand (these are questions):

    1-A downside to these plans is that you are limited to their doctors (like an HMO)?
    2-Another downside is that they are more expensive than regular Medicare supplement plans?
    3-An upside is that if you have certain existing condition(s), you can still sign up for an Advantage plan, whereas you cannot switch over to another regular supplement plan?
    4-Another upside is these extra benefits?

    I ask these because I spoke with an agent this year and was left with these impressions. I'm curious as to first-hand experiences, and want to make sure I heard right.
     
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  11. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I can’t answer all of those questions, and it seems like people who do not have an advantage plan are against them, and people who do have them love them, from what i have seen written by people in forums.
    Here, they seem to include almost all of the doctors, and specialty doctors and hospitals. Most places accept plans from all of the major health insurance companies, as far as i know and have experienced.
    Our plan is free, and a lot of them are free or very cheap, so I can’t answer that question.
    Number 3, I have no idea, either.
    Extra benefits are definitely a blessing. You have optical, dental, travel to doctors, OTC allowance, food/expense allowance, and extra programs, depending on the company.
    Devoted also has the medical alert , extra allowance for health/exercise equipment, special programs for chronic health conditions, like CHF, diabetes, etc.

    You just need to talk with a broker that handles all coverages and see what they tell you.
     
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  12. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I spoke with a broker this year for the first time. I probably should not have even asked this question because the answers may differ by state, or by individual circumstances.

    I recently found out that I cannot switch plans here in Virginia because of a preexisting condition. I'll let it go at that, because everyone's situation is likely to be different.
     
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  13. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I bet that you could change to an advantage plan. I have all sorts of heart conditions, and change with no problems at all.
     
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  14. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Yeh, I didn't want to wander too far afield, but that's what I was told. The guy gave examples of folks in Virginia who chose high-deductible supplemental plans and then developed health issues and could not change their supplemental plan because of those issues, but could go to an advantage plan. Because of their circumstances, the advantage plan premiums were way more expensive, but it still saved them money. The Advantage Plans in Virginia do have a network of doctors you must work within, but the broker said that in this region, he's not run across a doctor that is out-of-network.

    My bladder/catheter issue prevents me from switching supplemental plans, but the costs I have under my current plan are not out-of-line. The supplemental plan that I have works fine for me at this point...I was just shopping. They've not raised my rates by more than a token amount (probably capped by law.)

    I've used the free "senior center" advisors in the past, but this year for the first time I called a broker. He was way more informative. Apparently when you first sign up for Medicare, the supplement plans must accept you (because by law you must sign up.) After Year 1, there's a list of health questions you gotta answer if you want to switch (akin to getting life insurance.)
     
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