What is covered under Healthy Benefits?

Editorial team Published on

You can use your Healthy Benefits+ card to buy approved over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, health supplies, and healthy foods at participating retailers like Walmart, CVS, and Kroger.

Eligible Groceries and Food

  • Produce: Fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables.
  • Proteins: Meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, and plant-based options like nuts, seeds, and beans.
  • Dairy: Milk, cheese, and yogurt.
  • Pantry & Grains: Whole grain breads, rice, pasta, cereal, and canned soups.
  • Beverages: Water, coffee, tea, and nutritional shakes.

Eligible Over-the-Counter (OTC) Products

  • Medicines: Pain relievers, allergy medication, and cold, cough, or flu remedies.
  • Supplements: Vitamins and dietary supplements.
  • First Aid: Bandages, antiseptic wipes, and ointments.
  • Personal Care: Oral health items (toothpaste, floss) and eye or ear care supplies.
  • Home & Medical Supplies: Incontinence products, digestive health aids, and basic bathroom safety items.

(Note: Exact eligible items depend on your specific insurance plan and state rules. Always check your mobile app scanner or call the number on the back of your card to confirm a product before buying.)

What can I buy with a healthy benefits card at Walmart?

You can buy eligible groceries, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and health-related items at Walmart using a Healthy Benefits card.

Exact coverage depends on your specific insurance plan (such as Humana, Wellcare, or Blue Cross), but approved items generally fall into a few clear categories:

Eligible Healthy Foods & Groceries

  • Fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Meat, poultry, seafood, and lunch meat
  • Dairy products like milk, cheese, and eggs
  • Bread and pantry staples (like rice and beans)
  • Nutritional drinks and shakes

Eligible Over-the-Counter (OTC) & Wellness Items

  • Vitamins, minerals, and multivitamins
  • Pain relievers (such as Advil or Tylenol)
  • Cold, flu, and allergy medication
  • Oral care products (toothpaste, mouthwash)
  • First-aid supplies (bandages, antiseptic creams)
  • Personal care and select hygiene items
  • Assistive health devices (like grab bars or hearing amplifiers, depending on plan allowances)

How to Check Item Eligibility at Walmart

  • In-Store: Use the Walmart app to scan the barcode of an item while shopping to see if it triggers a benefit-eligible badge.
  • Online: Shop through Walmart.com or log into your Healthy Benefits Plus account and link your card to your Walmart wallet under payment methods to filter for eligible items.

Can I buy soap and shampoo with my OTC card?

Whether you can buy soap and shampoo with an Over-the-Counter (OTC) card depends entirely on your specific insurance provider and plan.

Plan Coverage Details

  • Soap: Many Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans cover basic hygiene items like bar soap or body wash, while others restrict purchases strictly to medical products.
  • Shampoo: Standard cosmetic shampoos are usually ineligible unless they serve a specific medical purpose, such as a medicated anti-dandruff treatment.

How to Check Your Eligibility

  • Check the catalog: Review your plan's approved product list or search the Walgreens OTC Catalog or Walmart OTC Benefit Page.
  • Scan items: Use your plan’s mobile app (such as OTC-Anywhere) to scan product barcodes in-store and confirm eligibility.
  • Call your provider: Call the phone number listed on the back of your insurance or OTC card to verify what personal care items your specific allowance includes.

Can I buy toilet paper with my OTC card?

Whether you can buy toilet paper with your over-the-counter (OTC) card depends entirely on your specific health plan benefits.

While standard OTC cards restrict spending strictly to medical and health-related items (which typically excludes toilet paper), many modern Medicare Advantage and managed care plans include expanded allowances, such as "Spendables," "Healthy Grocery," or "Utility/Household Environment" benefits. If your plan includes an allowance for household essentials or everyday grocery needs, toilet paper may be covered.

How to Check if Your Plan Covers It

  • Check the App or Portal: Log into your specific program portal (such as the My Benefits Center, Healthy Benefits Plus, or the OTC Network app) and search for "toilet paper" under your approved items catalog.
  • Filter Online Retailers: Retailers like Walmart and Amazon allow you to link your OTC card to your account. You can apply a "Benefit programs eligible" filter while shopping to see if paper goods are covered under your current balance.
  • Scan In-Store: If you shop in person at stores like Walgreens, CVS, or Kroger, look for the OTC blue star or indicator on the shelf price tag.
  • Call Customer Service: You can call the member services phone number on the back of your card to ask directly about your household paper goods allowance.

Tip: Always bring a backup payment method to the register. If your plan doesn't cover toilet paper, the register will automatically separate the eligible medical items from the paper goods, allowing you to pay the remaining balance yourself.

Can I buy groceries with my Healthy Benefits card?

Yes, you can buy approved groceries with your Healthy Benefits Plus card if your specific health plan includes a healthy food or grocery allowance.

What Groceries Are Covered

  • Fresh and Frozen Produce: Fruits and vegetables.
  • Proteins: Meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, and plant-based options like nuts and beans.
  • Dairy: Milk, cheese, yogurt, and plant-based milk alternatives.
  • Pantry Staples: Whole grains, bread, rice, pasta, cereal, soup, flour, and spices.

What Is Not Covered

  • Restricted Items: Alcohol, tobacco, and candy.
  • Non-Food Items: Household cleaning supplies or pet food (depending on your exact plan).

Where and How to Use It

  • Approved Stores: Major retailers like Walmart, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, and Meijer accept the card, but availability varies by location and plan.
  • At Checkout: Swipe your physical card or scan your digital barcode via the app before paying for your items.

Eggplant nutrition facts | Eggplant Health Benefits

9 related questions found

Can I buy ice cream with my Healthy Benefits card?

No, you generally cannot buy ice cream with a Healthy Benefits Plus card, as the program focuses on core nutritious foods and typically excludes treats like ice cream and soda.

What is Covered

  • Fresh Produce: Fruits and vegetables.
  • Dairy Products: Milk, eggs, cheese, and yogurt.
  • Pantry Staples: Grains, meats, seafood, and canned goods.

What is Excluded

  • Unhealthy Items: Ice cream, candy, and soda.
  • Non-Food Items: Tobacco, alcohol, and standard household goods (unless specified under a separate OTC allowance).

Note: Exact rules depend on your specific insurance plan and state guidelines.

Can I get laundry detergent with my OTC card?

Yes, you can sometimes buy laundry detergent with an OTC card, but it completely depends on your specific insurance plan and the type of allowance on your card.

Coverage Rules

  • Standard OTC Cards: Traditional Over-the-Counter benefit cards (from Medicare Advantage or Medicaid) usually restrict purchases strictly to health and wellness items like medicine, first-aid, vitamins, and basic personal hygiene. Laundry detergent is often excluded from these basic lists.
  • Expanded / Spendables Cards: Some newer or expanded allowance cards (like certain SSBCI, healthy-home, or combined utility/grocery benefit cards, or specific retailer programs) do allow select household cleaning products or everyday essentials.

How to Check Your Eligibility

  • Check your plan catalog: Review your current benefit provider's approved product list or catalog.
  • Scan in-store: Use a retailer app (like scanning barcodes in the Walmart app) or look for specific store shelf tags (like blue "OTCH Eligible" labels at CVS) to see if a specific detergent qualifies.
  • Call customer service: Call the phone number on the back of your insurance or benefit card to ask if household cleaning supplies are included.

Can I buy toothpaste with an OTC card?

You can often buy toothpaste with an over-the-counter (OTC) card, but it depends entirely on your specific insurance plan's approved item list.

How Toothpaste Eligibility Works

  • Commonly Covered: Many Medicare Advantage and health plans classify basic dental care and oral hygiene items—like toothbrushes, floss, and standard toothpaste—as eligible OTC benefits. Major retailers like CVS and Walgreens stock specific toothpaste brands and multipacks that qualify.
  • Plan Restrictions: Some specific or restrictive plans limit OTC coverage strictly to medical treatments or exclude standard cosmetic oral care items.
  • Approved Retailers: Purchases must typically be made at participating local stores or approved online checkout portals (such as Walmart or Amazon) where eligible products display a specific benefits badge.

Can I buy cleaning supplies with my OTC card?

Whether you can buy cleaning supplies with your OTC (Over-the-Counter) card depends entirely on your specific insurance plan and the rules of your benefit provider.

General Rules for Cleaning Supplies

  • Standard OTC Cards: Most traditional Medicare Advantage OTC cards are restricted to health and wellness items (like pain relievers, vitamins, first aid, and toothpaste) and generally do not cover standard household cleaning supplies like bleach, all-purpose sprays, or dish soap.
  • Expanded Cards & Spendables: Some modern or expanded plans (such as those that include healthy food, grocery, or household utility allowances like the Wellcare Spendables Catalog) may cover select household essentials or paper goods, but strict rules still apply.
  • Health-Related Exceptions: Items like isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antiseptic wipes are almost universally covered because they double as first-aid/health maintenance products.

How to Check Your Eligibility

  • Scan in Store: If you shop at a major retailer like Walmart, you can use the store's mobile app to scan the barcode of a cleaning product while your benefit card is loaded in your digital wallet to see if an eligibility badge appears.
  • Check Online Portals: You can log into your specific insurance member portal or check the approved items catalog provided by your plan provider (such as NationsBenefits, Healthy Benefits, or OTC Network).
  • Call Support: Call the toll-free phone number printed on the back of your OTC benefit card to ask customer service directly what household categories are allowed.

Can I buy sanitary napkins with my OTC card?

Yes, you can often buy pads with an OTC (over-the-counter) card, depending on your specific health plan and whether you mean menstrual pads or bladder control/incontinence pads.

Eligibility by Pad Type

  • Incontinence & Bladder Control Pads: These are widely covered as eligible health and personal care items across most Medicare Advantage and insurance OTC programs.
  • Menstrual Pads: Coverage varies. Some expanded personal-care OTC cards include menstrual hygiene products, but others restrict coverage strictly to medical or adult care items.

How to Verify Your Plan

  • Check your plan's OTC catalog: Look up the approved product list provided by your specific insurance provider (such as CVS OTCHS, Wellcare, or UnitedHealthcare).
  • Scan at participating stores: Major retailers like Walgreens, Walmart, or CVS Pharmacy can automatically scan items at the register to tell you if they are covered by your card's allowance.