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Optimum HealthCare Grocery Card 2027: Benefits and Healthy Groceries

By Brian Monahan Updated November 10, 2026

Reviewed October 24, 2026. The Optimum HealthCare grocery card is the Everyday Options Allowance, a monthly amount on a prepaid card that eligible members of select Optimum HealthCare special needs plans in Florida can spend on healthy groceries. For 2027, Optimum says the allowance runs from $70 to $235 a month, depending on the plan. Food and utility purchases are only for members who qualify through a chronic condition, and eligibility must be confirmed by phone.

Quick answer: In the 2027 Summaries of Benefits we checked, the Everyday Options Allowance is $235 a month on Optimum Emerald Partial (HMO D-SNP), H5594-016; $105 a month on Optimum Diamond Rewards (HMO C-SNP), H5594-028; and $70 a month on Optimum Diamond (HMO C-SNP), H5594-036. Each of those plans also has an OTC allowance of up to $47 a month. Unused money expires at the end of each month.

Optimum HealthCare grocery card benefits at a glance

Feature	What Optimum’s plan documents say
Benefit name	Everyday Options Allowance
2027 amount	$70 to $235 a month on select C-SNP and D-SNP plans
Healthy groceries	Dairy, fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood and healthy pantry staples (SSBCI-qualified members only)
Utilities	Gas, electric, water, cable, internet and cell phone service (SSBCI-qualified members only)
Assistive devices	ADA toilet seats, shower stools, hand-held shower heads, reaching devices and threshold ramps (all members of the plan)
Rollover	None; unused amounts expire at the end of each month
Card	2027: Benefits Prepaid Card (per Optimum’s 2027 Summaries of Benefits). 2026: Benefits Mastercard Prepaid Card, issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A.

Sources: Optimum HealthCare 2027 Summaries of Benefits for H5594-016, H5594-028 and H5594-036, and Optimum’s home page.

Who Optimum HealthCare is

Optimum HealthCare, Inc. is a Florida HMO with a Medicare contract and a Florida Medicaid contract. It’s part of Elevance Health, which lists Optimum HealthCare among its affiliated local Medicare Advantage brands. Its official site is youroptimumhealthcare.com, and Member Services is 1-866-245-5360 (TTY 711), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, 7 days a week from October 1 to March 31 and Monday to Friday from April 1 to September 30.

Optimum grocery card amounts: 2026 vs 2027

Plan	2026 food allowance	2027 Everyday Options Allowance	2027 OTC
Optimum Diamond Rewards (HMO C-SNP), H5594-028 (Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas)	$70 a month	$105 a month	Up to $47 a month (was $80)
Optimum Diamond (HMO C-SNP), H5594-036 (Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas)	$70 a month	$70 a month	Up to $47 a month (was $75)
Optimum Emerald Partial (HMO D-SNP), H5594-016 (24 Florida counties, including Broward, Hillsborough, Orange, Palm Beach and Pinellas)	$200 a month	$235 a month	Up to $47 a month (was up to $130)

All three 2027 plans have a $0 monthly plan premium. On the C-SNPs you still pay your Part B premium; on the D-SNP, Medicaid may pay it. The 2026 amounts come from Optimum’s 2026 C-SNP Summaries of Benefits. Other Optimum plans may have different amounts or no allowance, so check the plan’s own 2027 Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage.

What healthy groceries can you buy?

Optimum’s 2027 summaries describe eligible healthy foods as:

Dairy products
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Meat and seafood
Other healthy pantry staples

The card is meant for food you prepare at home. Alcohol, tobacco and non-food items aren’t healthy groceries, and anything the card doesn’t cover needs another form of payment. For how grocery allowances work across plans, see our Medicare grocery benefit guide.

Who qualifies for the grocery allowance

The healthy food and utility parts of the allowance are Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI). Optimum’s 2027 summaries say you may qualify “if you have a high risk for hospitalization and require intensive care coordination” for a chronic condition such as chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disorders, cardiovascular disorders, chronic heart failure or diabetes. To use it you generally need to:

Be enrolled in an Optimum plan that includes the Everyday Options Allowance
Have a qualifying chronic condition and meet the plan’s other criteria (Chapter 4 of your Evidence of Coverage lists them)
Confirm your eligibility; for 2027, Optimum says confirmation is required by phone

Assistive devices are available to all members of a plan with the allowance, even if they don’t qualify for SSBCI. Being in a C-SNP doesn’t make the food benefit automatic.

Optimum grocery card balance and where it’s accepted in 2027

Optimum HealthCare’s 2027 plan documents do not publish a separate balance website or store list for the grocery (Everyday Options) allowance. Here is what Optimum and its parent company, Elevance Health, have actually published, checked on November 10, 2026. Benefits vary by plan and county, so always check your plan’s Evidence of Coverage (Chapter 4) before you shop.

What card the allowance comes on

2027: Elevance Health’s October 1, 2026 announcement of its 2027 Medicare Advantage plans (which include Optimum HealthCare) says “multiple covered allowances may be available through a single Benefits Prepaid Card.” Optimum’s 2027 Summaries of Benefits use the name “Benefits Prepaid Card” for the Active Fitness allowance and do not name the card for the Everyday Options Allowance.
2026: Optimum’s 2026 C-SNP and D-SNP Summaries of Benefits call it the Benefits Mastercard Prepaid Card, issued by The Bancorp Bank N.A. If you still have your 2026 card, ask Member Services whether it carries over for 2027 or a new card is coming.

Where you can use it

For 2027, Elevance Health says: “Depending on the benefit, members can use the card at participating retailers in store, online or by phone.” It does not list the retailers. The 2026 Optimum Summaries of Benefits said the card works “for eligible expenses wherever Mastercard is accepted,” is valid only in the U.S., has no cash access and is not a gift card. Two practical points follow from those rules:

The card pays only for eligible items. Healthy foods (such as dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, seafood and healthy pantry staples) and utilities (home gas, electric, water, cable, internet or cell phone) are available only to members who qualify for Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI). Without SSBCI approval, the 2027 allowance covers assistive devices such as ADA toilet seats and shower stools.
Ineligible items in the same cart, or anything over your balance, need a second form of payment.

Over-the-counter (OTC) items are a separate benefit. Optimum’s OTC catalog and ordering are on its OTC order page and in the member portal, or by phone.

How to check your balance

Follow the instructions that came with your card. Optimum’s plan documents don’t publish a separate balance website or app, so use the activation and account details mailed with your card.
Log in to the Optimum member portal. Optimum’s website says members can “order Over-the-Counter medications and access account information” there.
Call Member Services at 1-866-245-5360 (TTY 711). Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week from October 1 to March 31 (except Thanksgiving and Christmas), and Monday to Friday from April 1 to September 30 (except holidays). This is also the number to call to confirm SSBCI eligibility for healthy foods.

Check near the end of each month. On all three plans below, unused Everyday Options and OTC amounts expire at the end of each month and do not roll over.

2027 monthly amounts at a glance

Plan (2027)	Everyday Options Allowance	OTC allowance	Healthy foods and utilities
Optimum Emerald Partial (HMO D-SNP), H5594-016	$235 a month	Up to $47 a month	SSBCI-eligible members only
Optimum Diamond Rewards (HMO C-SNP), H5594-028	$105 a month	Up to $47 a month	SSBCI-eligible members only
Optimum Diamond (HMO C-SNP), H5594-036	$70 a month	Up to $47 a month	SSBCI-eligible members only

Source: Optimum HealthCare 2027 Summaries of Benefits. Diamond Rewards and Diamond are sold in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties; Emerald Partial covers a wider list of Florida counties. To see how this compares with sister plan Freedom Health, read our Freedom Health OTC benefit guide, or compare carriers in our OTC and food cards by insurer roundup. For how SSBCI food benefits work in general, see our Medicare food and grocery allowance explainer.

Other 2027 Optimum benefits to compare

Optimum’s website also lists an OTC allowance of up to $50 a month and a Part B premium refund of up to $202.90 a month on select 2027 plans. The Optimum Diamond Rewards plan (H5594-028) lists a $500 yearly Active Fitness allowance, and the Emerald Partial D-SNP covers up to 10 post-discharge meals after a hospital or nursing facility stay. Compare each plan’s 2027 Summary of Benefits during Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7, 2026). Our guide to comparing Medicare Advantage plans in Florida and the annual plan review checklist can help.

Optimum vs. Freedom Health and other Florida food cards

Freedom Health is a sister Elevance plan in Florida with similar 2027 benefits; see Freedom Health OTC benefits. Other Florida grocery cards include the UnitedHealthcare UCard in Florida. And remember: there’s no government “free grocery card” for seniors; read the truth about flex cards.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Optimum HealthCare grocery card?

It’s the Everyday Options Allowance, loaded monthly on a prepaid card, for eligible members of select Optimum special needs plans in Florida.

How much is the Optimum grocery allowance in 2027?

Optimum lists $70 to $235 a month on select plans. Examples: $235 on Optimum Emerald Partial (H5594-016), $105 on Optimum Diamond Rewards (H5594-028) and $70 on Optimum Diamond (H5594-036).

Does the Optimum allowance roll over?

No. Unused amounts expire at the end of each month.

Can I use the Optimum card for utilities?

Yes, if you qualify for SSBCI. The 2027 allowance can pay for gas, electric, water, cable, internet and cell phone service as well as healthy food.

How do I confirm I qualify for healthy groceries?

Call Member Services at 1-866-245-5360 (TTY 711). Optimum says 2027 eligibility must be confirmed by phone.

What is Optimum HealthCare’s phone number?

Member Services is 1-866-245-5360 (TTY 711).

This article is general information. Medicare365 is not affiliated with or endorsed by Optimum HealthCare, Elevance Health or any U.S. government agency. Benefits vary by plan and county; check your plan’s Evidence of Coverage or call the number on your member ID card.

How do I check my Optimum HealthCare grocery card balance?

Use the account instructions that came with your card, log in to the Optimum member portal, or call Member Services at 1-866-245-5360 (TTY 711). Optimum’s 2027 plan documents don’t list a separate balance website or app. Check before month’s end, because unused Everyday Options amounts on Optimum Emerald Partial (H5594-016), Diamond Rewards (H5594-028) and Diamond (H5594-036) expire at the end of each month.

Where is the Optimum grocery card accepted in 2027?

Elevance Health, Optimum’s parent company, says its 2027 Benefits Prepaid Card can be used at participating retailers in store, online or by phone, depending on the benefit. Neither Optimum nor Elevance has published a retailer list, so ask Member Services which stores near you participate. Healthy food purchases work only after Optimum confirms you qualify for SSBCI. Benefits vary by plan and county; see your Evidence of Coverage.