How Your Visa® Flex Advantage Spending Card Works

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New for 2024, Tufts Medicare Preferred Access (PPO) plan members receive a Flex Advantage spending card with two ways to save. This prepaid Visa® card comes loaded and ready to use with:

  • $1,500 a year to pay for dental services1
  • $60 each calendar quarter to spend on Medicare-approved, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and health-related items2

 

NEW – starting April 1, 2024, Access PPO plan members can use their OTC benefit at CVS Health. See below for more details.

Using your card for dental services

The Flex Advantage spending card allows Access PPO members to pay for dental services at any dentist who accepts Visa®—anywhere in the country. You can use it to pay for any non-cosmetic dental procedure. Note: It is important to ensure your dentist accepts Visa and you carry this card in your wallet for easier transactions at appointments.
 

See the chart below for examples of eligible and non-eligible services.

 

Eligible Dental Services
Cleanings, X-rays, Fillings, Simple Extractions, Scaling, Root Planing, Dentures, Bridges, Crowns, Root Canals, Implants, Composite Fillings, Fluoride Treatment

 

Dental Services that are NOT Eligible
  • Reconstructive, plastic, cosmetic, elective, or aesthetic dentistry such as the whitening of teeth, dental bonding, and veneers
  • Replacement of dentures, bridges, inlays, onlays, or crowns that can be repaired or restored to normal function
  • Elective surgery including, but not limited to, extraction of non-pathologic, asymptomatic impacted teeth, including third molars
  • Services which are not necessary for the patient’s dental health as determined by the plan
  • Dental services covered by your inpatient and outpatient medical benefits, including services by a dentist or oral surgeon that are limited to surgery of the jaw or related structures, setting fractures of the jaw or facial bones, extraction of teeth to prepare the jaw for radiation treatments of neoplastic disease, or services that would be covered when provided by a doctor

 

The full amount is loaded onto your Flex Advantage spending card at the beginning of the year. The balance does not carry over, so try to use it all before the end of the year.

You are covered up to the $1,500 annual limit, and are responsible for costs above this amount. It is a good idea to ask your dentist for an estimate prior to your appointment.

For complete details, see our FAQs.

Using your card to purchase OTC items

Access PPO members receive $60 per calendar quarter to spend on Medicare-approved OTC items at participating retail stores and plan-approved online retailers. Your quarterly balance does not carry over, so try to spend the full amount each quarter. 

See the chart below for examples of eligible and non-eligible items. For a full list of covered items, including specific products and brands, visit thpmp.org/mybenefitscenter.

 

Eligible OTC Items

Cold, flu, and allergy

  • Allergy liquids, tabs, and caps
  • Cough, cold, flu, and sinus medications
  • Sore throat pain relief
  • Throat and cough drops
  • Neti pots
  • Nasal spray

Dental and denture care

  • Toothpaste
  • Tooth brushes
  • Denture cream
  • Floss and floss picks
  • Toothache relief gel
  • Cold sore treatment

First aid and medical supplies

  • Bandages
  • Gauze
  • First aid kits
  • Medical tape
  • Braces and supports
  • Antiseptic spray
  • Isopropyl alcohol
  • Hydrogen peroxide

Pain and fever relief

  • Acetaminophen
  • Ibuprofen
  • Aspirin
    Topical pain reliever
  • Lidocaine cream and patches
  • Muscle pain relief creams and patches

Skin Care

  • Body lotion
  • Benzoyl Peroxide
  • Petroleum jelly
  • Cotton swabs
  • Sunscreen

Other Items

  • OTC hearing aids
  • At-home COVID test kits
  • OTC naloxone

 

Items that are NOT Eligible
  • Alternative medicines
  • Children’s medicines and baby items
  • Contraceptives
  • Cosmetics
  • Dehydration drinks
  • Ensure, Boost
  • Feminine products, except for antifungals
  • Food
  • Grooming products
  • Hair color
  • Herbal supplements
  • Household products (cleaners and housewares)
  • Teeth whitening strips and treatments
  • Meal replacement shakes or nutrition drinks
  • Paper products (napkins, paper towels, toilet paper)
  • Skin care (face and body washes)
  • Weight-management bars and snacks

 

Shop in Stores

You can shop for eligible items 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 thpmp.org/mybenefitscenter.

To pay for eligible items using your Flex Advantage spending card, simply swipe the card at checkout.

You can also use the free OTC Network mobile app to scan barcodes while shopping to check for eligibility. Once downloaded, log into the app using your Flex Advantage spending card number and your nine-digit member ID number from your Tufts Health Plan member ID card.

Shop Online

You can shop online at two curated websites (CVS Health and Medline) that carry only eligible OTC items or at two public websites (Walmart.com and Walgreens.com) that carry both eligible OTC items and other items.

  • To shop at CVS Health or Medline, go to thpmp.org/mybenefitscenter and log in using the number listed on your Flex Advantage spending card and your nine-digit member ID number from your Tufts Health Plan member ID card. You can search for eligible items, including national and store brands, by clicking on “Products” at the top of the homepage. To shop online, select “Locations” at the top of the homepage, then select “Online” on the left panel to see links to Medline and CVS Health. Click on the link for the site where you would like to shop and follow the instructions below to shop on that site:

    • NEW – Order at CVS Health online – Beginning April 1, 2024, you can use your OTC benefit at CVS Health online. Order your items online at the CVS Health site or call 1-833-875-1816, Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–11 p.m., and a CVS Health representative will take your order. OTC items ordered from CVS Health online or by phone will be delivered with no additional shipping fees approximately 3–5 business days after the order is received.

      NOTE: If you have any issue ordering OTC items at CVS Health, try these solutions.

    • Medline: Order your items online at the Medline site or call 1-833-569-2168, Mon.–Fri., 8 a.m.– 7 p.m. ET, and a Medline representative will take your order. Call Tufts Health Plan Member Services if you need a paper catalog mailed to you. OTC items ordered from Medline online or by phone will be delivered with no additional shipping fees approximately 2–5 business days after the order is received.
  • You can also order eligible items online at Walmart.com. At checkout, select “Pay with card” and enter your Flex Advantage spending card number. Shipping fees may apply depending on your order size and are not covered. To avoid shipping fees, choose in-store pickup.
  • You can also order eligible items online at Walgreens.com. At checkout, enter your Flex Advantage spending card number where card number is requested. Shipping fees may apply depending on your order size and are not covered. To avoid shipping fees, choose in-store pickup.

For additional details on ordering at Walmart.com and Walgreens.com, go to How to Use Your Over the Counter (OTC) Benefit.

 

For More Information

If you have questions about using your card, call Member Services at 1-866-623-0172 (TTY: 711). Representatives are available 8 a.m.–8 p.m., 7 days a week (Mon.–Fri. from Apr. 1–Sept. 30).

You can check your dental and OTC balances at any time at thpmp.org/mybenefitscenter or by calling 1-833-684-8472.
 

1Dental services covered under the Flex Advantage spending card are limited to non-cosmetic, non-Medicare covered dental procedures. Coverage is up to the annual benefit limit, and the member is responsible for all costs above this amount. Unused balance at the end of the year does not roll over. Please refer to your Evidence of Coverage for more information.

2Quarterly OTC credit is for the purchase of Medicare-approved OTC items from participating retailers and plan-approved online stores. Unused balance at the end of a calendar quarter does not roll over. Under certain circumstances, items may be covered under your Medicare Part B or Part D benefit.