A dual health plan could help you buy healthy food at no cost.

Good food is important for good health. But eating healthy can be hard on a limited budget. Knowing this, UnitedHealthcare created a new health benefit called “healthy food.” Like the name says, the healthy food benefit helps people buy healthy food. It’s included with most UnitedHealthcare dual health plans for 2021.

Dual health plans are for people who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare. Healthy food is one of many extra dual benefits you could get with a dual health plan. See all the other benefits dual health plans may offer.

The healthy food benefit helps members make their food dollars go farther.

The healthy food benefit is like having free food credit.

The healthy food benefit helps dual health plan members stretch their monthly food budget. On the first day of every month, members get a set amount of credits loaded onto a prepaid debit card. They shop for groceries, then use their debit card to pay. Any qualifying purchases are automatically taken off the total by using credits. There’s no cost to members. So it really is like having free food credit.

Some dual health plans give members as much as $60 monthly. Just think of it as being like free food credit. Then you can see how the healthy food benefit can help people with low income make their food dollars go farther.

See how the UnitedHealthcare healthy food benefit works. Watch the video. 

Play Video

Healthy Foods Video Transcript

What types of groceries can you buy?

Healthy food credits can be used to buy a wide range of groceries. Healthy food credits are also accepted at many stores, from small corner shops and neighborhood stores to large national retailers like Walgreens and Walmart.

Fill your basket with healthy food items.

With your healthy food credits, you could buy a wide range of approved groceries, like:

·        Fruits and vegetables

·        Meat and fish

·        Eggs, cheese, milk and other dairy products

·        Whole grains, nuts, seed and spreads

·        Plant-based fats/oils

·        Supplemental drinks like Boost® and Ensure®

·        And much more

Healthy food credits are in addition to credits to buy OTC health products.

You may have heard about credits to buy health products. That’s another popular dual benefit included with most dual health plans. It allows members to buy hundreds of over-the-counter (OTC) health-related items at no cost. Healthy food credits are separate from health products credits. You’ll likely get both with a dual health plan from UnitedHealthcare. And added together, that’s likely worth quite a lot of money.

https://www.uhccommunityplan.com/dual-eligible/benefits/healthy-food-benefit