Medicare Advantage plans are often advertised with enticing benefits, and among these is the "flex card," offering cash-like benefits. In 2024, WellCare's Flex Card benefit program has been rebranded as WellCare Spendables, available through select WellCare Medicare Advantage plans. This guide explains how the Spendables card works, its eligible uses, and how to manage your balance.
What is the WellCare Spendables Card?
The WellCare Spendables card is a pre-loaded debit card that comes with certain WellCare Medicare Advantage plans, designed to be used for health-related items and services. It provides an allowance, the amount of which varies by plan, to assist with healthcare costs.
Benefits of the WellCare Spendables Card
If your WellCare plan includes the Spendables card, you can use it for various health-related expenses. The specifics of what you can purchase, the allowance amount, and the frequency of fund deposits depend on your particular plan. Potential uses include:
- Dental services
- Vision and hearing care
- Over-the-counter (OTC) items
- Groceries
- Gas
Depending on the plan, the annual preloaded amount on the Spendables Visa debit card can range from $144 to $2,880. The card can be used with both in-network and out-of-network providers for covered dental, vision, and hearing services.
Eligibility and Restrictions
To be eligible for the WellCare Spendables card, certain requirements and restrictions apply:
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- The plan must specifically offer the Spendables benefit.
- Allowances differ among plans.
- The card must be activated before use.
- It cannot be used for cosmetic or non-medical purposes.
- Allowances are typically pre-loaded monthly or quarterly.
- The card is accepted anywhere Visa cards are accepted.
WellCare Medicare Advantage plans with Spendables benefits are available in 37 states.
What Can You Buy with the WellCare Spendables Card?
The range of eligible purchases varies depending on your WellCare plan. Members enrolled in Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNP), who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, have the broadest range of options, including:
- Healthy Groceries: Fruits, vegetables, canned goods, frozen foods, grains, meat, seafood, and pantry staples.
- Over-the-Counter (OTC) Items: Pain relievers, cold/flu/allergy medications, oral care products, and diabetes care supplies.
- Rent and Utilities
- Out-of-Pocket Expenses: For covered dental, vision, and hearing services.
Other Medicare Advantage plans with the Spendables benefit may have more limited usage, typically restricted to over-the-counter items, out-of-pocket costs for dental, vision, or hearing services, or a combination of these. It is essential to review your plan details to understand the specific covered items and the allowance amount for each benefit period.
Where Can You Use the WellCare Visa Flex Card?
The WellCare Spendables card can be used at a network of eligible retailers. This network includes approximately 55,000 retailers nationwide, such as CVS, Publix, Kroger, Walgreens, Walmart, and H-Mart, as well as other major pharmacies, convenience stores, and grocery stores. The WellCare member portal offers a store locator to assist you in finding nearby eligible retailers. The Chapter OTC app can also be used to check your balance and order eligible items for home delivery at no additional cost.
Using the Spendables Card for Specific Healthcare Costs
The WellCare Spendables card can be used to cover out-of-pocket costs, such as copays and coinsurance, for dental, vision, and hearing services, depending on the plan. This benefit is applicable to both in-network and out-of-network providers. The card can also be used to cover costs for services not typically covered by the plan, such as dentures. It is advisable to verify your plan's coverage details before using your Spendables balance to maximize your benefits.
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Eligible medical equipment that can be purchased with the Spendables card includes:
- Glasses and contact lenses
- Hearing aids
- Dentures
Cosmetic services, such as teeth whitening, are not eligible for coverage.
How to Check Your WellCare Spendables Card Balance
You can check your WellCare Spendables card balance through the following methods:
- Member Portal: Log in to your secure member portal and select WellCare Spendables.
- Telephone: Call 1-855-744-8550 (TTY 711), available 24/7 for balance inquiries.
Maximizing WellCare Benefits
Many Medicare Advantage beneficiaries do not fully utilize their flex card benefits due to lack of awareness or perceived complexity. WellCare offers additional benefits, including:
- Fitness Program: Yearly membership for members age 18 and older, with access to fitness centers, workout plans, on-demand videos, and home fitness kits. A doctor's baseline form is required to begin the program.
- Home Environment Support: Benefits such as carpet cleaning (limited to two times per year for a maximum of two bedrooms, one living room, and one hallway, with a $200 limit per household), a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner (one per lifetime), and hypoallergenic bedding (one mattress casing and one pillow casing, up to $100 per year).
- Preventive Care: Coverage for two vaccines for caregivers age 21 and older who are not covered by another health care plan and live in the same house as the WellCare member.
- Hearing Care: Coverage for one hearing exam every two years for members ages 21 and older, as well as one hearing aid every two years if medically necessary.
- Teladoc Health: An online tool offering support for stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and more.
- Over-the-Counter (OTC) Allowance: $10 worth of OTC items each month. Items can be ordered online, by phone, or through a Customer Service Representative, with any unused monthly balance forfeited.
- Educational Support: GED program and tutoring services for members ages 8-18, with six tutoring sessions per year (one hour per session).
- Nutritional Support: Ten meals provided upon discharge from an inpatient hospital, rehabilitation, or skilled nursing facility with prior authorization.
- Housing Assistance: Rental deposits and utility payment/deposits for eligible members.
- Transportation: Transportation services to medical appointments through MTM, with options for reimbursement for gas mileage.
- Maternity Support: Electric breast pump per delivery, community baby showers, and doula services.
- Youth Programs: Free yearly membership and after-school programs for members ages 5-18, coverage for 4H club activities (up to $10 per member per year), and coverage for one sport physical per calendar year for members ages 6-18.
Wellcare Spendables Card Usage Details
The Wellcare Spendables® Card can be used in-store at participating retailers, online, via mobile app, or over the phone for over-the-counter (OTC) items. Members on most D-SNP plans can use the Wellcare Spendables® Card towards these benefits. Note that for some D-SNP plans, these benefits are part of Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill, and not all members will qualify.
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The Wellcare Spendables® card is easy to use. Members can use the card to pay for eligible over-the-counter (OTC) medicine and healthy food products at participating retailers. On the first of each month, depending upon plan benefits, members receive an allowance that automatically loads onto the Wellcare Spendables® card.
Members can use their Wellcare Spendables® card on plan-approved over-the-counter items. The card can be used at participating retail locations, online or via mobile app for home delivery. Members can also purchase home improvement and safety items at a Walmart store or online at Healthy Benefits Plus. Eligible products are determined by categories at the SKU level.
Members can use their Wellcare Spendables® card toward healthy foods at participating retail locations. Approved grocery items include but are not limited to fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy items, meat and seafood, breads, pantry staples, and nutritional drinks.
Members can use their Wellcare Spendables® card at providers with a valid Merchant Category Code (MCC). Members can use their Wellcare Spendables® card to help with the cost of rent for their home. Members can use their Wellcare Spendables® card to pay for gas directly at the pump. The card cannot be used to pay in-person at the cash register.
- Activate the card prior to using it.
- Your card comes with a monthly or quarterly dollar amount to help you pay for some out-of-pocket expenses. The type of items and services your card covers depends on your health plan. To learn what your plan covers, check your plan materials. You can also log in to your secure member portal and click Wellcare Spendables.
- To see how much money is on your Wellcare Spendables card, log in to your secure member portal and select Wellcare Spendables.
If your order total is more than your available Spendable OTC balance, you will need to pay for any remaining total due, using cash, check, or a personal credit or debit card. For example: if your total order is $50, and your available Wellcare Spendables balance is $30, your remaining total would be $20.
If your plan offers healthy food through Wellcare Spendables, you can use your card to buy healthy and nutritious food. You can use your Wellcare Spendables card at participating stores near you. Find local stores near you using the Store Finder on your member portal under Wellcare Spendables or on the HealthyBenefits+ app. Simply enter your zip code or allow the mobile app to detect your current location.
For some plans, you can use your card to help with the cost of rent for your home. Your card cannot be used to set up automated, recurring payments. Some plans offer money to be used towards fueling up at the gas pump. Pay-at-the-pump may not be available at smaller or locally owned gas stations. Your Wellcare Spendables card cannot be used to pay in person at the cash register. If you go inside the gas station to pay for your gas, your card transaction will be declined. The card can only be used up to the available allowance amount at the pump.
You can use your Wellcare Spendables card at participating retailers near you and nationwide. Find local stores near you using the Store Finder. Log in to your secure member portal and click Wellcare Spendables.
Yes! You can use your Wellcare Spendables card in-store. Not all products are covered by your Wellcare Spendables card. Find covered items by logging in to your member portal and click Wellcare Spendables. At checkout, if your total is more than the available balance on your Wellcare Spendables card, you will need to pay the remaining amount using cash, check or a personal credit or debit card. For example: Let’s say your total order is $50 and you have $30 available on your Wellcare Spendables card. You can use the $30 available on your Wellcare Spendables card to buy eligible products. Your remaining total is now $20. You would need to pay the remaining $20 with cash, check or a personal credit or debit card.
Yes! You can use your Wellcare Spendables card when shopping online. Not all products are covered by your Wellcare Spendables card. Find covered items by logging in to your member portal and click Wellcare Spendables. At checkout, if your total is more than the available balance on your Wellcare Spendables card, you will need to pay the remaining amount using cash, check or a personal credit or debit card. For example: Let's say your total order is $50 and you have $30 available on your Wellcare Spendables card. You can use the $30 available on your Wellcare Spendables card to buy eligible products. Your remaining total is now $20. You would need to pay the remaining $20 with cash, check or a personal credit or debit card.
Not every product can be purchased using your Wellcare Spendables dollars. If some of the products you are buying are covered by Wellcare Spendables, and some are not, you do not need to separate the items at checkout. Start by using your Wellcare Spendables dollars to pay for eligible products. You will need to pay for products not covered by Wellcare Spendables, or for any remaining total due, using cash, check or a personal credit or debit card. For example: Let’s say your total order is $50 and you have $30 available on your Wellcare Spendables card. You can use the $30 available on your Wellcare Spendables card to buy eligible products. Your remaining total is now $20. You would need to pay the remaining $20 with cash, check or a personal credit or debit card.
Your Wellcare Spendables card cannot be used at an ATM or to get cash back at the register. The Wellcare Spendables card can only be used by you for your health needs and cannot be sold or transferred to someone else.
Troubleshooting
My Card Is Not Working: If you are still having problems with your card, please contact Member Services.I Think My Card Was Lost or Stolen: If you think your card is lost, stolen, or you don’t recognize transactions on your Spendables card, please call 1-855-744-8550 (TTY 711). Call Member Services at the phone number on your Member ID Card. TTY users dial 711. From April 1 - September 30, we're here Monday through Friday from 8 am to 8 pm. From October 1 - March 31, we're here every day from 8 am to 8 pm.