How to use a Humana flex card for seniors (2024)

Some Medicare Advantage plans come with additional benefits, like flex cards, that can pay for over-the-counter medications, eligible groceries, and out-of-pocket medical expenses. Depending on your policy, Humana Medicare Advantage plans can include a Spending Account Card that offers a “Healthy Options” allowance, “OTC” allowance, and/or “Flex” allowance. We’ll go over each of these allowances and the benefits they come with for Humana Medicare Advantage plan holders.

Key takeaways:

  • Humana flex cards are called Spending Account Cards. These cards can be loaded with money, or allowances, on a quarterly or monthly basis depending on your Medicare Advantage plan.

  • Humana offers three different allowance types: Healthy Options allowance, OTC allowance, and/or Flex allowance.

  • The Health Options allowance provides a spending amount through the card on eligible groceries, over-the-counter items, utilities, rent, and other household goods.

  • The OTC allowance provides a spending amount for over-the-counter medicine, vitamins, first-aid supplies, and more.

  • You can use a Flex allowance toward your Medicare Advantage plan’s covered dental, vision, or hearing services.

  • Some Medicare Advantage plans can make it difficult to track your flex credits. Use Chapter’s free app to find and claim flex money from your plan before it expires.

What is a Humana flex card?

Flex cards are a common benefit offered by some Medicare Advantage. Humana’s Spending Account Card is a payment card that acts just like a debit card and allows beneficiaries to pay for certain goods and medical expenses. It offers three different kinds of allowances, depending on your plan. The flex benefit card can have different allowances for goods and services. Your plan will determine which allowances you have, and the spending allowances are automatically loaded onto your card.

Below we dive into three types of spending allowances.

Healthy Options allowance

If your plan includes the “Healthy Options” allowance, your Humana Spending Account card can be used to pay for over-the-counter health and wellness products, utilities, rent, pet supplies, and other eligible goods and services at participating retailers.

To be eligible for the Healthy Options allowance, you must be enrolled in the following Humana Medicare Advantage plans:

  • 100% of Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (for those on Medicare and Medicaid)

  • Certain Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans (designed for those with chronic health problems)

  • Other non-Special Needs Humana Medicare Advantage plans may also be eligible

What you can buy with a Humana flex card Healthy Options allowance

Here are specific examples of what a Healthy Options allowance can help pay for:

  • Groceries: approved produce, beverages, dairy, meat, frozen and prepared foods, bakery items

  • Home and personal supplies: toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, cleaning supplies, fans, space heaters, air conditioners

  • Over-the-counter: allergy, cold and flu medicine, vitamins and supplements, first aid, pain relief, digest health products

  • Pet supplies: pet food, pet toys, kitty litter, flea shampoo

  • Utilities, rent, and mortgage: rent/mortgage payments, home phone and internet service, electric, home heating, and water/sewage bills

  • Non-medical transportation: taxis, ridesharing services, public transportation

  • Assistive devices: grab bars, low-vision aids, reaching aids

OTC (over-the counter) allowance

If you have an OTC allowance as part of your benefits for a Humana Medicare Advantage plan, you can use your Spending Account Card towards over-the-counter medicine, vitamins, first-aid supplies, incontinence supplies, and oral care. Depending on your plan, you’ll receive either a monthly or quarterly amount pre-loaded onto your account card to spend on OTC products.

There are two types of OTC benefits you can get: OTC Mail Order or OTC allowance. OTC Mail Order benefits can only be used at the CenterWell Pharmacy online—this is Humana’s online pharmacy. The OTC allowance benefit is a dollar amount that is loaded onto your Humana Spending Account Card.You can use this allowance at participating retailers in addition to CenterWell.

What you can buy with an OTC allowance Humana flex card

Here are specific examples of what an OTC allowance can help pay for:

  • Vitamins and supplements

  • Pain relievers, cough drops and other OTC medicines

  • Toothbrushes, toothpaste, denture cream and tablets

  • Cleansing wipes and bladder control pads

  • Bandages and first aid supplies

  • Stomach remedies

Flex allowance

The Flex allowance benefit is a monthly or quarterly spending amount allotted for your plan’s covered dental, vision, or hearing services. With a Flex allowance, you can use your Spending Account Card for out-of-pocket healthcare costs, like copays and coinsurance.

Important note:

Because the Flex allowance can only be used toward costs associated with your specific Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll have to submit a claim to Humana before you can use the flex benefit.

Where can you use your Humana flex card

Once you activate your Humana Spending Account Card, you can use it to purchase goods and over-the-counter medications at participating retailers, grocery stores, and pharmacies. Not all places accept payment from the Humana allowance programs. You can check the Humana Store Finder to see which shops will accept the card in your area. Three notes about using your card:

  • Retailers must accept Visa payments in order for you to make the purchase.

  • It’s important that you check your plan details to ensure that your purchase is eligible for using your Spending Account Card.

  • If you have Flex allowance as a benefit, you’ll have to submit a claim to cover any service or procedure before using the card.

If you need to check your account balance, you can do so by logging into your online Humana account.

Variations in Medicare Advantage plans

Keep in mind that the amount of money you get from your Medicare Advantage plan for the Spending Account Card may vary from one plan to another. Read your plan details closely or get in touch with Humana or a Chapter representative to make sure you understand what you can pay for and how much your Humana flex card allowance is.

Flex cards, including the Humana Spending Account Card, can help you save on health and wellness needs, including over-the-counter goods, prescriptions, and copays for healthcare services. Unfortunately, Medicare beneficiaries only use about 30% of their over-the-counter/flex benefits. This is because the benefits can be difficult to understand, especially since flex card rules vary between insurance companies and between Medicare Advantage plans.

Chapter makes it easy to use your Humana OTC benefits. Don’t leave money on the table, and sign up with the Chapter app today to claim your OTC benefits.Get started here.

How to use a Humana flex card for seniors (2024)

FAQs

How to use a Humana flex card for seniors? ›

Once you receive your Humana Spending Account Card in the mail, you must activate it before you can use it. Visit Healthy Benefits +™ (opens in new window) or call 855-396-0691 (TTY: 711). You can also view your current balance (opens in new window) and find participating retailers (opens in new window) .

How to use Humana Flex allowance? ›

Your Flex allowance can be used toward out-of- pocket costs for your plan's covered dental, vision and hearing services. This includes copays. The provider must accept Visa. For a list of services included on your plan, check your Evidence of Coverage document on MyHumana.com.

Can I use my Humana Flex card for food? ›

Some Medicare Advantage plans come with additional benefits, like flex cards, that can pay for over-the-counter medications, eligible groceries, and out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Can I use my Humana Flex card at Walmart? ›

Using the card is simple for members

The card can be used at thousands of participating stores, including CVS, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Walgreens and Walmart. To see which Humana plans include this benefit, visit firstlook.Humana.com.

How do you use a Medicare Flex card? ›

It works just like a prepaid credit or debit card and can have multiple options for use, including online purchases. Use it for those expenses you are eligible to receive an allowance for such as groceries, over-the-counter health items, and utilities.

How do I use my Flex spending card? ›

Typically, there are three ways to access your FSA money. You can use a debit card that's connected to your account, pay providers directly through your online portal, or submit receipts for reimbursem*nt. Check with your employer or FSA provider to find out which option(s) they offer.

How do I use my flex card for food? ›

You have to present or swipe it to make the reimbursem*nt just like you do with your other regular debit or credit card. Flex Card can be customized as per your health care plan. Another gain for patients' health is that they don't have to remember a specific PIN to make a transaction.

Does Flex card cover groceries? ›

Flex cards may be filled to cover the cost of out-of-pocket health and wellness needs, like groceries, over-the-counter needs, and meals. Flex cards are especially helpful for seniors with low incomes and resources, who can benefit significantly from grocery and meal benefits.

What is the truth about the flex card for seniors? ›

A Medicare flex card is a preloaded debit card offered by some Medicare Advantage plans that members can use for certain expenses like over-the-counter health items, assistive devices and utilities. Although flex cards for seniors are associated with Medicare, they're not provided by the government.

Is the $900 Medicare grocery allowance real? ›

Is The $900 Medicare Grocery Allowance Real? Unfortunately, the $900 Medicare grocery allowance is not a real benefit of Original Medicare. Original Medicare does not offer any kind of assistance when it comes to groceries. However, some Medicare Advantage plans do provide a grocery benefit to their enrollees.

What stores can I use my Humana card in? ›

Where Can I Use My Humana Healthy Foods Card?
  • CVS.
  • Dollar General.
  • Family Dollar.
  • Walgreens.
  • Walmart.
  • and more...
Sep 5, 2023

Why won't my Healthy Benefits card work at Walmart? ›

The most common reasons why a benefit card may be declined at the point of sale are: The benefits card has not been activated. The benefits card has been used before the 24-hour waiting period after activation is over. The participant has insufficient funds in the benefit account to cover the expense.

What foods can you get with a Humana food card? ›

About the Healthy Foods Card

Qualified members can use the card at participating stores. This card gives members a monthly allowance to spend on approved healthy foods at participating stores across the U.S. Qualifying items include milk, eggs, bread, juices, water, yogurts, fruits, vegetables and more.

What stores can I use my Flex card at? ›

For the most part, your FSA card should work where it makes sense: at locations like pharmacies, vision centers, doctor and dentist offices, and so on. But if you try to use your card at a restaurant or bike shop, even if that bike shop happens to sell FSA eligible bandages, chances are your card won't work.

What does my Flex card cover? ›

In most cases, many Flex card benefits may include: Dental benefits: dental care such as fillings, oral surgery, and preventative oral care. Vision: eyeglass frames and prescription lenses, eye exams, and contact lenses. Hearing: hearing aids and repairs.

What is the Humana Flex card? ›

A new offering on select 2023 Medicare Advantage (MA) plans is the Dental/Vision/Hearing Flex Allowance. These plans feature a Humana Spending Account Card (image below) which includes a Flexible Allowance to be used toward dental, vision and hearing out-of-pocket expenses that are covered under the patient's MA plan.

Where can I use my flex allowance? ›

If your plan includes the Flex Allowance, you can use it toward out-of-pocket costs for covered dental, vision, or hearing products and services. You can even use it to help cover the difference if your expenses exceed the amounts covered by your plan's dental, vision, or hearing benefits.

What are the allowable expenses for flex benefits? ›

Allowed expenses include insurance copayments and deductibles, qualified prescription drugs, insulin, and medical devices. You decide how much to put in an FSA, up to a limit set by your employer.

What is the Flex allowance? ›

Flex cards are typically preloaded at monthly, quarterly or annual intervals with an allowance you can use toward one or more categories. You might be able to choose the category you want to use your flex card for, or your plan may offer a flex card for a specific cost, such as dental or vision care expenses.

How do I use my dependent care flexible spending account? ›

Funds for your DC-FSA will be withheld from your paycheck. To access your money, you can typically pay dependent care expenses with a debit card connected to your account, or you can pay providers directly through your online portal. You may also be able to submit receipts and file a claim for reimbursem*nt.

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