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Blue Cross Blue Shield OTC Benefits 2027: Cards and Allowances by Blue Plan

By Modinul Islam Khan Updated October 27, 2026

Reviewed October 27, 2026. Blue Cross Blue Shield OTC benefits are over-the-counter allowances that some Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage plans give members to buy health items such as pain relievers, vitamins and first aid supplies. There’s no single BCBS OTC benefit: each Blue company sets its own card, amounts and store list, and many plans have no OTC allowance at all. For 2027, several Blue plans have cut or kept their quarterly amounts, so check your plan’s 2027 Summary of Benefits or Annual Notice of Change.

Quick answer: The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association says the Blue system is made up of 33 independent, community-based and locally operated BCBS companies. Your OTC benefit depends on which company runs your plan and on the exact plan you pick. Examples for 2027: BCBS of Michigan’s Medicare Plus Blue PPO Signature gives $50 a quarter, Florida Blue’s BlueMedicare Premier (HMO) H1035-045 gives $45 every three months, and Independence Blue Cross Keystone 65 Focus HMO-POS gives $75 a quarter. Unused money doesn’t roll over in any of these examples.

How Blue Cross Blue Shield OTC benefits work

An OTC allowance is a supplemental benefit that a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan can choose to offer. Original Medicare and Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans don’t include one, even when a Blue company sells them. If your Blue plan includes the benefit, you’ll usually get:

A set dollar amount that loads monthly or quarterly
A prepaid card, an online catalog, or both, run by a vendor the Blue company picks
A list of approved items, such as cold and allergy medicine, vitamins, first aid, dental care and incontinence supplies
A rule that unused money expires at the end of each period and at the end of the plan year

Under CMS’s Contract Year 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule, supplemental benefit debit cards must be electronically tied to the plan’s covered items and limited to the plan year. For the basics, read What are OTC benefits? The OTC card explained.

BCBS OTC benefits by Blue company: 2027 examples

These examples come from each company’s own 2027 plan documents and OTC pages. They’re not a full list of Blue plans, and amounts vary by plan and county.

Blue company and plan	2026 OTC amount	2027 OTC amount	Card or program
BCBS of Michigan: Medicare Plus Blue PPO Signature	$65 per quarter	$50 per quarter	Advantage Dollars card (Convey)
BCBS of Michigan: Medicare Plus Blue PPO Vitality	$50 per quarter	$40 per quarter	Advantage Dollars card (Convey)
Florida Blue: BlueMedicare Premier (HMO) H1035-045	Not listed for this plan ID	$45 every 3 months	Blue Dollars Benefits Mastercard Prepaid Card
Independence Blue Cross: Keystone 65 Basic HMO	See your 2026 plan documents	$25 per quarter	IBX Care Card
Independence Blue Cross: Keystone 65 Assured, Liberty, Preferred and Select HMO; Personal Choice 65 PPO	See your 2026 plan documents	$30 per quarter	IBX Care Card
Independence Blue Cross: Keystone 65 Focus HMO-POS	See your 2026 plan documents	$75 per quarter	IBX Care Card

Some Blue plans have no general OTC allowance for 2027. Florida Blue’s BlueMedicare Select (PPO) H5434-047 Summary of Benefits lists none, and IBX says Keystone 65 Essential HMO-POS and Personal Choice 65 Achieve PPO aren’t eligible for the Care Card OTC allowance.

BCBS of Michigan: Advantage Dollars

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan loads an OTC allowance each quarter onto its Advantage Dollars card, administered by Convey. You can shop at participating stores such as Meijer, Walmart, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens, Family Dollar and Dollar General, or order by phone, from the mail catalog or online. BCBSM says unused amounts don’t roll over, and its PPO Essential, PPO Giveback and BCN Advantage HMO-POS Prime Value plans don’t include the allowance.

For 2027, the Annual Notices of Change show smaller amounts on two PPO plans. PPO Signature goes from $65 to $50 a quarter, and PPO Vitality goes from $50 to $40 a quarter. Both plans also have a Food and Produce Allowance for members with qualifying chronic conditions, which drops by the same amounts. Convey’s OTC line is 1-855-856-7878 (TTY 711), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern.

Florida Blue: Blue Dollars card

Florida Blue Medicare Advantage members with an OTC benefit use the Blue Dollars Benefits Mastercard Prepaid Card, issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. Florida Blue says it works at stores such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, and members can see the catalog in their online account. Unused amounts don’t roll over. Florida Blue also says Walmart+, Instacart, Shipt and Amazon aren’t eligible ways to use the card.

The 2027 Summary of Benefits for BlueMedicare Premier (HMO) H1035-045 lists a $45 allowance every three months and says unused money is forfeited at the end of each quarter. Florida Blue Medicare member services is 1-800-926-6565 (TTY 711).

Independence Blue Cross: IBX Care Card

Independence Blue Cross (IBX) in southeastern Pennsylvania puts its OTC allowance on the IBX Care Card, managed by InComm Healthcare. Its 2027 Care Card FAQ says you can use the card at participating stores, at mybenefitscenter.com, in the OTC Network app, or through CVS online and phone ordering. Unused OTC money doesn’t roll over between quarters, and food isn’t covered under the OTC allowance. CVS home delivery orders: 1-833-287-0314 (TTY/TDD 711). For plan details, see our guide to IBX Personal Choice 65 PPO for 2027.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield: Benefits Mastercard

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Anthem Medicare Advantage plans with OTC money use the Benefits Mastercard Prepaid Card, and NationsBenefits handles online, phone and mail orders. Anthem says the card isn’t accepted at online retailers such as Walmart.com. On some plans the same card holds an Everyday Options Allowance that can cover OTC items, healthy food and utilities for members who qualify. Our Anthem OTC benefits 2027 guide covers this card, and the related Elevance Health brand Wellpoint is covered in Wellpoint OTC benefits.

Other Blue plans: Blue Cross NC, Excellus and Highmark

Blue Cross NC: Medicare Advantage members use the Blue FlexCard, which holds a quarterly OTC allowance and, on some plans, a vision allowance and rewards. You can use the catalog, participating stores such as Harris Teeter and Walmart, or the member portal. Blue FlexCard line: 844-428-9837 (TTY 711), 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Excellus BCBS (upstate New York): Excellus’s OTC flyer describes a quarterly allowance run by Convey, ordered online, by catalog, by phone or in the OTC Anywhere app. The 2027 Summaries of Benefits we checked for Blue Choice Optimum (H3351-006), Freedom (H3351-007), Core (H3351-022) and Prime (H3351-023) don’t list a general OTC allowance.
Highmark: see our Highmark OTC 2027 guide for its store, catalog and plan amounts.

Does BCBS cover food or utilities on the OTC card?

Only on some plans, and only for members who qualify. Grocery and utility help in Medicare Advantage is usually a Special Supplemental Benefit for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI), so you must have a qualifying chronic condition and meet the plan’s other rules. BCBSM’s Food and Produce Allowance is one example. IBX’s 2027 plan pages mention grocery and meal benefits for qualifying chronic conditions, but its OTC allowance itself doesn’t cover food. Learn more in our guide to the Medicare flex card for seniors.

How to check your BCBS OTC balance and order

Find the program name on your card or in your Evidence of Coverage, such as Advantage Dollars, Blue Dollars, IBX Care Card or Blue FlexCard.
Sign in to the website or app printed on the card, or your Blue company’s member portal.
Check your balance, browse the catalog and use the store locator.
Call the number on the back of the card if your card won’t activate or a purchase is declined.

Step-by-step help for other carriers is in how to check your OTC card balance.

Comparing Blue plans for 2027

If an OTC allowance matters to you, compare 2027 plans during Medicare Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, 2026. Look at the OTC line along with premiums, the drug list, provider network and the maximum out-of-pocket limit. A plan with a bigger allowance isn’t always cheaper overall. Our guide to Medicare Advantage plans with OTC benefits walks through the comparison, and you can compare carrier cards in OTC and food cards by insurer.

Frequently asked questions

Does Blue Cross Blue Shield have an OTC card?

Some Blue companies do, but only on certain Medicare Advantage plans. Names include Advantage Dollars (BCBS of Michigan), Blue Dollars (Florida Blue), the IBX Care Card and the Blue FlexCard (Blue Cross NC).

How much is the Blue Cross Blue Shield OTC allowance in 2027?

It depends on the plan. Examples from 2027 plan documents range from $25 a quarter (IBX Keystone 65 Basic HMO) to $75 a quarter (IBX Keystone 65 Focus HMO-POS). Some Blue plans have no allowance.

Do BCBS OTC benefits roll over?

Not in the plans we checked. BCBSM, Florida Blue and IBX all say unused OTC money expires at the end of each period.

Do BCBS Medicare Supplement plans include OTC benefits?

No. Medigap plans only help pay Original Medicare costs. OTC allowances come with some Medicare Advantage plans.

Is HealthSpring a Blue Cross plan?

HealthSpring is owned by Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, but HealthSpring plans are sold under the HealthSpring name. See the HealthSpring OTC catalog guide.

This article is general information. Medicare365 is not affiliated with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, any Blue company, any card vendor or the U.S. government. Benefits vary by plan and county; check your plan’s Evidence of Coverage or call the number on your member ID card.