MedicareNewsWatch.com Assisting Medicare Advantage Enrollees in Finding 2020 Over-the-Counter Benefits for Personal Protection Items

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Apr 01, 2020, 18:30 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MedicareNewsWatch.com is leveraging the first-hand experience of HealthMetrix Research Inc. president Alan Mittermaier to assist other Medicare Advantage plan enrollees during the coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency. Nearly 80% of the 22 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans have access to free over-the-counter (OTC) benefits that may include various personal protection items – e.g., disposable gloves, hand sanitizer, over-the-ear masks and antiseptic wipes.

OTC allowances are a relatively new "extra benefit" now offered by over 80 Medicare Advantage plans including AARP-United Healthcare, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente and WellCare. Typically, OTC allowances range from $25-$50 each quarter and may be used for ordering selected drug store personal products from online catalogs or by phone for home delivery. Some plans allow members to use their OTC benefit allowance for in-store purchases. Unused OTC allowance balances usually expire at the end of each quarter and do not rollover.

According to HealthMetrix Research Inc. president Alan Mittermaier:

"This time of national uncertainty prompted my own order of disposable gloves and hand sanitizer recently using my Aetna Medicare Solutions OTC quarterly allowance. I was pleased to see these personal protection items available in the OTC catalog and was motivated to share what I found with other Medicare Advantage enrollees. Now that most OTC allowances are renewed for the April 1-June 30 quarter, I encourage informed enrollees to visit the user-friendly Medicare Advantage OTC Personal Protection Finder feature to see whether free personal protection products are included as a Medicare Advantage OTC benefit."

HealthMetrix Research Inc. sponsors the MedicareNewsWatch.com website featuring the annual Medicare Advantage CostShare Report cost-sharing comparisons, recognized as a trusted decision-support resource for Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and healthcare professionals since 1999.

Source: HealthMetrix Research Inc. www.MedicareNewsWatch.com
Contact: Alan Mittermaier, President - HealthMetrix Research Inc. 614-236-8345

SOURCE HealthMetrix Research Inc.