You may have seen that some Medicare Advantage plans offer a benefit called a flex card. Medicare flex cards are prepaid cards that work like debit cards. If you have certain Medicare Advantage plans, then you’ll be mailed a flex card at the start of your coverage. Each month or quarter (depending on your plan), your flex card will be loaded with your allowance, but this card can only be used to pay for eligible goods and services.
Aetna beneficiaries with select Medicare Advantage plans have OTC (over-the-counter) benefits. These plans provide an Aetna Medicare Payment card through PayFlex. With this card, you can pay for over-the-counter health and wellness products. If you have a Dual Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) with Aetna, you’ll have access to an Extra Benefits Card, which can also help you pay for groceries and other day-to-day expenses.
Read on to learn about what you can buy with Aetna OTC benefits and an Extra Benefits Card.
Key takeaways:
Aetna offers OTC benefits through a preloaded Aetna Payment card provided by PayFlex. With the card, you can buy certain over-the-counter items listed in your OTC catalog.
If you have a Dual Special Needs Plan, you’ll also have access to an Extra Benefits Card. With this card, you can pay for everyday expenses like approved groceries, OTC items, rent/utilities, and transportation.
Chapter's free app can help you keep track of your Aetna OTC benefits and save you money.
What is an Aetna Medicare flex card?
Many Aetna Medicare Advantage plans have OTC (over-the-counter) benefits. This benefit comes with a preloaded Aetna Payment card provided by PayFlex. With this card, you can pay for over-the-counter health and wellness products like pain relief medication, first aid items, cold, flu, and allergy medicine, and oral hygiene tools. What you can buy and how much money you receive varies between plans—check your summary of benefits to know how much money you can expect and the OTC catalog for a list of products covered by your policy.
You can also use this plan finder to review OTC benefit details in your area.
When will I receive money for Aetna’s Medicare OTC benefit?
Your OTC benefits are reloaded onto the Aetna Payment card every quarter on the first of the month. You can expect to receive money for over-the-counter items on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.
Where can I use the Aetna Medicare flex card?
You can use your Aetna Payment card and OTC benefits at any CVS Pharmacy nationwide. You can order online (delivery by mail at no additional cost), order by phone at 1-833-331-1573 (TTY: 711), or shop in-store. Visit the store locator to find the nearest CVS to you. You can also use Chapter's OTC app to purchase eligible items with your credits and get them shipped to you.
Note that CVS Pharmacy locations inside other stores like Target or grocery stores are not eligible for the benefit.
Understanding the Aetna Extra Benefits Card
If you have an Aetna Dual Special Needs Plan (some with Medicare and Medicaid are eligible for these plans), you have access to the Aetna Extra Benefits Card. This benefit is provided via a prepaid Mastercard that has a monthly allowance for healthy foods, OTC items, transportation, utilities, personal care items, pet supplies, rent or mortgage assistance. Each plan varies, and so does which items and services are eligible, so it’s important to check your summary of benefits to understand what you can pay for with your Aetna Extra Benefits card.
You’ll receive the benefit amount on the first day of each month. Any unused amount from the previous month rolls over to next month, so you can still cash in.
Where can I use my Aetna Extra Benefits Card?
You can use the Aetna Extra Benefits card to buy groceries, household, and OTC items at eligible retail stores, like Kroger and Walmart. For transportation, utilities, and rent assistance, you can pay for the service directly with the card.
The best way to shop for eligible items is online by logging onto aetna.nationsbenefits.com and browsing through approved products.
Make the most out of your flex benefits
Flex card benefits can be confusing to navigate. Many Medicare Advantage beneficiaries don’t use this extra money because they either don’t know it exists or it’s too much of a hassle to use it. Save money and time using Chapter's free OTC app! Keep track of your spending, understand your plan's benefits, and make the most out of your flex credits with this useful tool.
