Understanding OTC & Healthy Benefit Changes in 2026 - Benefit Codes
This article outlines significant updates to Medicare Advantage OTC and healthy food benefit programs for 2026. It highlights that eligibility for healthy food allowances now requires members to have one or more chronic health conditions, which may impact how beneficiaries use their benefit cards at checkout.
HNH Insight
The article clarifies that 2026 policy shifts have tightened the criteria for healthy food allowances, moving away from universal access toward a model focused on members with chronic conditions, which directly affects the utility of supplemental benefit cards.
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