With a Healthy Benefits card, you can buy over-the-counter medicines, personal care items, first aid supplies, and certain medical equipment, and on some plans you can also buy healthy groceries. The exact catalog depends on the plan that issued your card, but the categories are consistent enough to shop with confidence once you know where the lines are.
Over-the-Counter Medications and First Aid
This is the backbone of nearly every Healthy Benefits program. Eligible items commonly include pain relievers, allergy medication, cough drops, cold remedies, digestive aids, and first aid supplies such as bandages, antiseptic wipes, and gauze.1Healthy Benefits Plus. CarePartners of Connecticut Medicare Advantage Over-the-Counter Benefits Vitamins and dietary supplements are generally covered as well.
One thing to watch: brand-name and store-brand versions of the same medication may have different eligibility status. If the card gets declined on a product you assumed was covered, that mismatch is usually the reason.
Personal Care and Dental Products
Most plans extend the allowance to everyday personal care items. Toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, and mouthwash are almost always covered. So are shampoo, soap, sunscreen, and feminine hygiene products. These are among the most popular purchases because they replace things you’d buy anyway.
Healthy Food and Groceries
Not every plan includes a grocery allowance. Plans designed for members with chronic conditions and plans for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid are the most likely to offer one. When groceries are covered, eligible items typically include fresh produce, dairy, meat and seafood, frozen and prepared foods, bakery items, and beverages.2Humana. Healthy Options Allowance
These food benefits grew out of the Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill program that CMS expanded in 2020, allowing plans to cover non-medical services like fresh food for qualifying enrollees.3Consumer Healthcare Products Association. Medicare Advantage Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicines Program If your plan doesn’t advertise a grocery benefit, don’t assume you have one; check your plan documents.
Medical Supplies and Home Health Items
Depending on the plan, eligible purchases may include blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, incontinence supplies, and home safety equipment such as bath mats, shower chairs, and canes.4CVS. OTC Benefits at CVS Reading glasses and contact lens solution show up on many eligible-item lists too.
What the Card Won’t Cover
The card’s checkout system automatically rejects items outside your plan’s approved catalog, so you won’t accidentally drain your allowance on something ineligible. Even so, it helps to know the hard limits before you get to the register.
- Alcohol and tobacco. No beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, vaping products, or related items.
- Prescription medications. The benefit covers over-the-counter products only. Prescriptions go through your plan’s pharmacy benefit.
- Non-health household goods. Cleaning supplies, paper towels, and pet food aren’t covered unless your plan specifically includes a household essentials category.
- Cash back or gift cards. The card doesn’t work at ATMs, and you can’t use it to buy store gift cards.
The card is not a cash benefit you can spend freely; CMS has clarified that it’s a tool plans use to deliver coverage for specific pre-approved items and services.5Center for Medicare Advocacy. CMS Clarifies Treatment of Medicare Advantage Flex Cards For Public Benefit Purposes That’s why the eligibility list, not the store’s inventory, decides what goes through.
How to Confirm an Item Is Eligible
Your plan’s product catalog is the definitive list. Most plans publish a searchable version on their website or in a mobile app, and some retailers put shelf tags on eligible items in-store. If you’re not sure about a specific product, scan it in your plan’s app before heading to checkout.
Participating retailers commonly include large pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, grocery chains like Walmart and Kroger, and discount stores like Dollar General. Some plans also work with online retailers, and when you order through the Healthy Benefits Plus platform, shipping is typically covered by your health plan rather than deducted from your allowance.1Healthy Benefits Plus. CarePartners of Connecticut Medicare Advantage Over-the-Counter Benefits
Spend Before Your Allowance Expires
Allowances are usually loaded quarterly, though some plans use monthly or annual cycles.3Consumer Healthcare Products Association. Medicare Advantage Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicines Program The dollar amount varies widely. Some plans provide as little as $25 per quarter, while plans for members with chronic conditions may offer several hundred dollars a year.
Most plans do not roll unused funds into the next period. If you’re loaded $50 a quarter and only spend $30, the remaining $20 typically disappears when the new quarter starts. Check your balance through your plan’s website, mobile app, or the customer service number on the back of the card.
Since 2025, CMS requires Medicare Advantage plans to send members a personalized mid-year notice between June 30 and July 31 that lists any supplemental benefits still unused for the year.6Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Contract Year 2025 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule CMS-4205-F If your OTC or grocery benefit shows up on that notice, treat it as a prompt to shop before the money resets.