Your OTC Benefit - Elderplan

Shop for Eligible Health and Wellness Items

Your plan in includes a monthly OTC benefit onto a card that you can use to spend on health-related items you use every day. Keep using your OTC + Flex card if you already have one, it’s ready to use.

Your benefit is loaded on the first day of each month, and unused OTC funds roll over from month to month—but your full balance must be used by the end of the calendar year, or you will lose any unused funds.

You can shop in person at participating pharmacies and retailers, or online through your benefits portal at mybenefitscenter.com. When making eligible OTC purchases, pick the OTC option at checkout or tell the cashier you are purchasing with your OTC Card. Use the same card for both your OTC and Flex benefits — just select the OTC option at checkout.

If shopping in-store: Select eligible items and choose the OTC card option at checkout. The purchase amount will be deducted automatically from your balance. Any remaining balance must be paid by an alternative payment method.

If shopping online: Visit a participating retailer’s website. Choose eligible items at checkout, and your OTC Card will cover purchases up to your approved balance. Any remaining balance must be paid by an alternative payment method.

A gentleman in a blue shirt unloads groceries at his kitchen counter

2027 OTC Benefit

Feature	Benefit Details
Allowance Amount	$290 per month.
Frequency	Monthly
Roll-over Rules	Balance rolls over month to month. All unused funds expire at the end of the calendar year (December 31)
Standard Covered Items	Eligible OTC non-prescription drugs, health-related items, COVID-19 tests, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and Naloxone nasal spray.
SSBCI Additions²	For members with qualifying chronic conditions, the OTC allowance also covers: Community rides, healthy foods and fresh produce, home-delivered meals, cell phone, internet, and utility bill payments, and rent/mortgage assistance. It also includes personal hygiene, pest control, indoor air quality equipment and services.
Payment Method	Members receive a dedicated OTC + Flex Card to purchase eligible items at participating pharmacies and retailers, as well as selected Visa-accepting merchants for SSBCI categories.
Key Restrictions	The card cannot be converted to cash or used to purchase Medicare Part B or Part D prescription drugs. The card can only pay rent/mortgage where Visa is accepted.

Helpful Reminders

Your OTC balance rolls over from month to month but expires at year’s end.
Check the bottom of your register receipt for your remaining OTC balance before leaving the checkout.
Always have an alternative form of payment available — if your OTC balance doesn’t cover the full purchase, you are responsible for the difference.
Some transaction fees may apply and be deducted from your OTC balance.
Confirm in advance that your landlord, mortgage company, utility, or rideshare provider accepts Visa.

Footnotes

Eligibility is determined by whether you have a chronic condition associated with the SSBCI benefit (expanded OTC). Examples include, but are not limited to, Cardiovascular Disorders, Diabetes, Arthritis, Chronic Kidney Disease, Chronic Respiratory Disease (e.g., COPD). There are other eligible conditions not listed. Standards may vary for this benefit. ↩