Extra benefits
Extra benefits: what is real and what is marketing
Flex cards, grocery allowances, and Part B give-back are real, but they are narrower than the television ads suggest. Here is the straight version.
Start here
If you have seen a commercial promising a card loaded with money, or a check added back to your Social Security, you have questions. Fair enough.
These benefits do exist. They are offered by some Medicare Advantage plans, in some counties, to people who meet specific conditions. The advertisements rarely mention those conditions.
What we can do is check what is actually available at your address, and tell you plainly whether you qualify.
A word about the ads
The benefit amounts shown on television are usually the highest available anywhere in the country, often on a plan built for people who also have Medicaid. If you do not have Medicaid, the amount available to you is typically much smaller.
That is not a reason to ignore these benefits. It is a reason to have someone check your county before you switch plans for one.
Important: Benefits, and whether they are offered at all, vary by plan, by county, and by year. Not everyone qualifies, and not every plan includes these benefits. Nothing on this page is an offer of coverage. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program to review all of your options.
Official resource
Check the source, then ask for personal help
Educational information is general. A licensed agent can help with plan comparisons; agents do not provide medical, legal, or official eligibility advice.
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