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Medicare Advantage Essential Extras
Make Everyday Life Easier With Medicare Advantage Benefits
When it comes to finding the right Medicare Advantage plan, there’s a lot to consider. Anthem Medicare Advantage plans include benefits to help support your health and budget.
Many of our Medicare Advantage plans include the Anthem Benefits Prepaid Card, our flex card, so you can conveniently access plan benefits that help you pay for groceries1, 2, over-the-counter items, utilities1, 2, and more.
You Have A Trusted Partner For Your Wellbeing
At Anthem, we take a broad approach to supporting our members’ health. That means addressing a wide range of health-related considerations, including comfort and convenience to make every day easier and help members live longer, healthier lives. That’s what Essential Extras are all about.
Essential Extras Benefits
Created exclusively for Anthem Medicare Advantage members, our innovative Essential Extras provide valuable, no-cost benefits to enhance your quality of life and health outcomes. Members can customize their approach to whole health improvement by choosing up to two of the following Essential Extras benefits, depending on their plan4:
- Utilities1, 2 – You can receive a quarterly spending allowance toward the payment of household utilities1, 2 including gas, electric, water, and sewer. It can also be used with your internet and cellular providers.
- Dental, Vision, and Hearing Allowance – Enjoy additional coverage for your dental, vision, and hearing needs. You get to choose how to spend the annual allowance - towards out-of-pocket costs or additional services.
- Groceries1, 2 – Save on the cost of healthy groceries1, 2 with monthly allowance good toward purchases at participating stores near you.
- Assistive Devices – An annual allowance for assistive and safety devices, such as hand rails, shower stools, raised toilet seats, reaching devices and more.
- Transportation2, 3 – If you need a ride2, 3 to plan-approved locations, this benefit gives you an annual allowance for one-way trips per year.
Essential Extras is not available with all Anthem Medicare Advantage plans. Benefits listed can vary based on the state you live in, the plan you choose, and your eligibility4. Your doctor may need to confirm certain benefits are appropriate for your care. Unused benefits and/or spending allowances do not roll over monthly, quarterly, or annually.
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Medicare Eligibility
1 Members may receive a monthly or quarterly allowance in the form of a benefits prepaid card to pay for a wide range of approved groceries and utilities. Unused amounts will expire at the end of the month or quarter. Benefits vary by plan.
2 Depending on your plan, the benefits listed may be available through the Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design Model or to eligible members as Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI). You may qualify for SSBCI if you have a high risk for hospitalization and require intensive care coordination to manage chronic conditions such as Chronic Kidney Diseases, Chronic Lung Disorders, Cardiovascular Disorders, Chronic Heart Failure, or Diabetes. For a full list of chronic conditions or to learn more about other eligibility requirements needed to qualify for SSBCI benefits, please refer to Chapter 4 in the plan's Evidence of Coverage.
3 Transportation services are issued as one-way trips and provided on an annual basis. Benefits vary by plan.
4 Plan availability, premiums, benefits, and benefit amounts may vary based on where you live, the plan you choose, and your eligibility.
The Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. This is a benefits card that can only be used at certain Mastercard merchants participating in this program and will be authorized for qualified purchases as set forth in your Terms and Conditions. Valid only in the U.S. No cash access. Other languages are available upon request.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, a Medicare Advantage Organization with a Medicare Contract in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin, offer HMO, HMO D-SNP, HMO C-SNP, HMO I-SNP, LPPO, LPPO D-SNP and/or RPPO. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield offers PDP plans in Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO D-SNP and LPPO D-SNP plans contract with state Medicaid programs. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Retiree Solutions, a Medicare Organization with a Medicare Contract in New York, offers LPPO plans. Enrollment in Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Retiree Solutions plans depend on contract renewal.