United Health Care and Blue Cross Medicare plans both offer a $40 o $60 quarterly order of OTC medical stuff ranging from vitamin pills to bandages to shoe sole cushion inserts.
What’s the deal? Is it a way to get rid of excess stuff? … a market research thing?.. why do they do this?
IT’s a perk of their Advantage plan. My plan gives me $100 every quarter for OTC purchases.
Just a promoted option for particular plans…Mom’s 2023 plan in So. CA gives her $136 per quarter.
My wife has this plan. It also includes free gym memberships at as many gyms as she wishes. She’s gotten electronic toothbrushes, bandages, blood pressure monitors, etc., with the quarterly purchases.
Is this Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage?
Advantage.
If my wife was on Advantage, she’d probably be denied care. Her hospital only takes one Advantage plan.
There are a lot of opinions on Medicare Advantage plans, but I have our opinion after my folks over 15 years of MA plans in Southern California…the best MA market in the country supposedly…which makes all the difference. LOCATION is THE thing. My folks had great plans every year and often changed plans every year to take advantage of whatever plan was best THAT year for their conditions. Both had multiple comorbidities but were never denied coverage, surgeries, medical devices or medications. Their copays were either $0 or very low for everything! Our maximum Out-of-Pocket this year was an amazing $699 and $800 with no deductibles!! We’ve had grocery benefits of $50/month, utilities of $150/quarter, OTC of $75/quarter, sports fees of $25/month, on top of the great dental, vision, hearing aid, transportation, gym memberships, etc., benefits already supplied. BUT, and this is the cruncher, many areas of the country have lousy MA plans, networks and few if any hospitals affiliated. We are exceptionally blessed to have a great medical group, large network of top notch doctors and affiliated award-winning hospitals so our experience has been terrific with soooo much money saved for great medical care.