How to Use Your Over-the-Counter (OTC) Benefit

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CarePartners of Connecticut plan members have access to savings on eligible over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and health-related items by using your OTC benefit.

NEW – starting April 1, 2024, you can use your OTC benefit at CVS Health. See below for more details. 

 

 

How Your OTC Benefit Works

At the beginning of each calendar quarter, your OTC card is loaded with the quarterly OTC amount for your plan.

Plan

2024 Amount

Quarter

CareAdvantage Preferred (HMO)

$67

$67

$67

$67

Jan-Mar

Apr-Jun

Jul-Sep

Oct-Dec

CarePartners Access (PPO)

*See below

Jan-Mar

Apr-Jun

Jul-Sep

Oct-Dec

*Starting in 2024, Access PPO members receive a Visa® Flex Advantage spending card to access your OTC benefit. For quarterly amounts and information about using this card, visit carepartnersct.com/FlexAdvantage.

 

Your balance does not carry over—try to spend the full amount before the end of each quarter.

Don’t throw out your card—it will be reloaded at the start of the next calendar quarter.

 

5 Easy Ways to Enjoy Your Benefits

  1. Shop in stores*—Swipe your OTC card at participating physical retailers including CVS, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Rite Aid, Stop & Shop, Walgreens, and Walmart. For a complete list of participating retailers and locations, visit carepartnersct.com/order-OTC. *Access PPO members, learn how to shop in 2024 with your Visa Flex Advantage spending card.
  2. NEW – Order at CVS Health online* – Beginning April 1, 2024, you can use your OTC benefit at CVS Health online, a curated site where you can shop for only eligible OTC items. 
    • Go to carepartnersct.com/order-OTC, log in using the number listed on your OTC card  and your nine-digit member ID number from your CarePartners of Connecticut member ID card. *Access PPO members, learn how to shop in 2024 with your Visa Flex Advantage spending card.
    • You can search for eligible items, including national and store brands, by clicking on “Products” at the top of the homepage. 
    • To shop on CVS Health, select “Locations” at the top of the homepage, then select “Online” on the left panel to see the link to CVS Health. You will also see the link to Medline (see below under Medline).
    • Click on the CVS Health link to shop for eligible items. 
    • OTC items ordered from CVS Health online will be delivered with no additional shipping fees approximately 3–5 business days after the order is received.
    • You can also order from CVS Health by Phone: To order eligible items by phone from CVS Health, call 1-833-875-1816 Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–11 p.m., and a CVS Health representative will take your order. Orders will be delivered with no additional shipping fees approximately 3–5 business days after the order is received.
  3. Place an order through Medline* —Go to carepartnersct.com/order-OTC, log in with your OTC card number and your CarePartners of Connecticut member ID number. Follow the steps described above under CVS Health, but instead of selecting "CVS Health", select "Medline" to shop at Medline site. Under “Select Location Type” on the left side of the screen, click “Online,” then “Medline.” Alternatively, you may call 1-833-569-2331 (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–7 p.m. ET) and a Medline representative will take your order, or fill out and return the mail-order form included in the Medline OTC benefits catalog (2024 version). If you need a printed copy mailed to you, call Member Services at 1-888-341-1507 (HMO) or 1-866-632-0060 (PPO) (TTY: 711). OTC items ordered online, by phone, or by mail will be delivered approximately 2-5 business days after the order is received by Medline. *Access PPO members, learn how to shop in 2024 with your Visa Flex Advantage spending card.
  4. NEW Online through Walmart.com—You can shop for eligible items at Walmart.com. Walmart.com is not a curated site, so you will be able to shop for both eligible OTC items and other non-eligible items. At checkout, select “pay with card” and enter your OTC card number (Visa Flex Advantage spending card number for PPO members). Your OTC card can only be used to pay for eligible OTC items up to the balance on your OTC card at the time of the transaction; you can pay for non-eligible items with another form of payment such as personal credit card or cash if allowed. Note: Shipping fees may apply depending on your order size a and will not be covered by your OTC card. To avoid fees, you can choose in-store pick-up. There are 3 easy ways to shop on Walmart.com:

 

Method

Description

Fee*

Notes

Pickup

Reserve a time, and the order is brought to you curbside at your selected store.

Free

Pickup is free, no order minimums.**

Shipping

Orders are shipped to your mailing address.

$6.99

No fee for orders over $35. No fee for Walmart+ members.

Delivery

You reserve a time, and the order is delivered to your home.

$7.95 to $9.95

No fee for Walmart+ members with orders over $35.

*You will see any fees from your cart at check-out. Fees cannot be paid with an OTC Network card. Restrictions apply. **$6.99 fee for pickup orders under $35 which include perishable items. No fee for Walmart+ members. Items sold and shipped by Walmart.com can be returned or replaced, when available, by mail within 90 days of receipt. Exceptions are noted on the Walmart corporate Return Policy page. Returns are refunded to your OTC Network card within 3-5 business days of receipt of the return.

5. Order online through Walgreens.com – You can shop for eligible items at Walgreens.com. Walgreens.com is not a curated site, so you will be able to shop for both eligible OTC items and other non-eligible items. At checkout, enter your OTC card number (Visa Flex Advantage spending card number for PPO members). Your OTC card can only be used to pay for eligible OTC items up to the balance on your OTC card at the time of the transaction; you can pay for non-eligible items with another form of payment such as personal credit card or cash if allowed. Note: Shipping fees of $5.99 may apply depending on your order size and will not be covered by your OTC card. To avoid fees, you can choose “in-store pick-up.” Other things to know:

OTC eligibility and pricing is the same in-store / online.

Depending on your method of delivery, your items could be in-hand in as little as 30 minutes.

Ship-from-store orders are delivered from the local store of your choice. Items that cannot be shipped from the selected store are delivered via FedEx from a centralized Walgreens location.

You will receive order, tracking, and delivery status via email/txt (opt-in) from the moment your order is placed until it’s delivered or picked up.

For in-store pickup and ship from store orders - Inventory position for the selected store is shown in real-time and an out-of-stock item cannot be selected. In the event of a damaged or missing item, the item will be cancelled from the order and the amount refunded to the customer’s card.

You can call 1-877-250-5823 for any online order issue. Customer support is available 24x7 for order support.
 

 

For More Information

If you have any technical difficulty using your card, call Medline at 1-833-569-2331.

If you have any questions about using your OTC benefit, call CarePartners of Connecticut Member Services at 1-888-341-1507(HMO)/1-866-632-0060 (PPO)(TTY: 711).

Quarterly allowance is for the purchase of Medicare-approved OTC items from the Medline catalog. Your OTC benefit cannot be used to purchase Part B or Part D covered prescription drugs. OTC items may only be purchased for the enrollee, not for family members or friends. Some items may be covered through your Medicare Part B medical or Part D prescription drug coverage. Other items may be used for either a medical condition, or for general health and well-being. These are called dual-purpose items. You should only buy these items after discussing them with your health care provider to see if they recommend the item for a specific diagnosed condition. Please speak with your physician before buying dual-purpose items.