Why spend your over-the-counter benefit at CVS?

Most Medicare Advantage plans offer an over-the-counter (OTC) benefit. It pays for eligible health-related needs like toothpaste, vitamins and sunscreen. Unfortunately, too many people don’t take what they’re owed. They don’t know they have the OTC benefit or aren’t sure where (or how) to spend it.

CVS® can help you turn this benefit into the items on your weekly shopping list. With stores in your neighborhood and the right products on our shelves, we’re here to help. Here, healthier happens together™.

In this article:

• CVS is in your neighborhood
• CVS has your essentials covered
• CVS makes shopping and checkout easier
• Visit your one-stop health shop

CVS is in your neighborhood 

Seeing your doctor or a specialist might mean hopping on the highway. But 85 percent of Americans live within just five miles of a CVS location.¹  If you can’t walk to us, there’s a good chance we’re a short drive or bus ride away.

CVS is a trusted local health stop. One study found that 58 percent of Americans head to the pharmacy first for nonemergency medical problems.²  Not only do we stock items for most minor ailments, but staff pharmacists can also help. They can answer the questions you have about items on our shelves and assist with product directions.      

CVS has your essentials covered

Some people don’t use their OTC benefit, and about 70 percent of it goes unspent every year.³ Those people may not know what the benefit covers — or how many of those items can be found within their local CVS store. 

The OTC benefit is broad. It covers items you use for daily hygiene (think toothpaste, soap and deodorant) as well as products to manage minor discomforts, such as foot pain, headaches and an upset stomach. It can also cover items to make you safer, such as canes and bathroom grab bars, or help you build out a first aid kit for your household. 

Some common categories for the Medicare Advantage OTC benefit include:

•  Allergy relief tablets or nasal spray
•  Blood pressure monitors
•  Cold medicine
•  Compression socks
•  Denture adhesive
•  Diaper rash cream for infants
•  Digital thermometers
•  Eye drops
•  Hand sanitizer
•  Heartburn tablets
•  Laxatives
•  Menstrual pads and adult diapers

Specific benefits will vary depending on your plan and where you live.⁴ To get a sense of approved items, contact your Medicaid or Medicare Advantage insurer about your specific benefit.

Your local CVS store carries items from most, if not all, of these eligible categories. It has them on its shelves — every day.

CVS makes shopping and checkout easier

Learning how to spend OTC benefits takes a little practice. Part of the challenge is knowing whether an item you want will qualify for your plan and then figuring out how to use your card to check out.     

CVS has smoothed this shopping and checkout experience with consumer-friendly design. This helps Medicaid and Medicare Advantage members find just what they need, get the best value and move on with their day. 

One of the ways CVS simplifies shopping for Medicare Advantage members is with its blue tag system. Products that are widely eligible for the OTC benefit carry signature blue labels right on the shelves, making them much easier to spot.

Visit your one-stop health shop

Few places offer as full a range of health services as a CVS location.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans became more familiar with their pharmacies. They became not only their frontline stores, open every day, but also places to get basic care. More than 61 million people got their COVID-19 tests at CVS locations, for instance, and more than 88 million vaccines were administered within our doors.⁵

For compassionate and accessible care, MinuteClinic® is conveniently located inside more than 1,000 CVS Pharmacy® and Target stores in 36 states and Washington, DC. These clinics accept most health insurance plans and provide access to board-certified family nurse practitioners and physician associates. MinuteClinic at CVS offers nearly 200 services and treatments. These include chronic condition management, vaccine administration and treatment for minor illness and injury as well as the ability to prescribe medication, all on offer seven days per week — and often by a walk-in appointment. 

Many older Americans take advantage of these locations, with their visits to such clinics doubling in recent years.⁶  And shopping with the OTC benefit in the retail stores just makes a visit that much more convenient.

While you can spend your OTC benefit in many ways, it makes sense to shop in local stores you trust. For its part, CVS will try its best to help you make the most of your Medicaid and Medicare Advantage dollars — especially when it comes to spending this valuable OTC benefit.