The cost of groceries has also substantially increased with rising inflation. This has put a lot of strain on household budgets, especially for seniors. Certain Medicare Advantage plans can give seniors access to federally funded grocery allowances in such cases. These prepaid flex cards, also known as Medicare Food Allowance or Health Foods Cards, can be used to buy healthy foods, produce, and other products from participating retailers.

Here are a few things to know about the grocery allowance card 2024 for seniors:

1. Eligibility for grocery allowance for the elderly
The grocery allowance is usually part of non-medical supplemental benefits. A senior must have a qualifying Medicare Advantage Plan to be eligible for this. For this, they must be enrolled in Parts A and B of Medicare.

Besides the mandatory Medicare enrollments, most plans offering non-medical supplemental benefits, such as grocery benefits, require seniors to meet additional eligibility criteria. These often include having a preexisting chronic illness or being employed with an organization for a particular period of time. Usually, these eligibility requirements differ across plans based on the Medicare Advantage provider.

2. Plans offering grocery allowance in 2024 for seniors
Most of the top insurance providers partner with third-party companies to offer grocery benefits to seniors. This is why Medicare Advantage plans that have grocery allowances often differ across locations and types of plans. To know whether plans in one’s city, county, or state offer a senior card for groceries, start by checking the official Medicare website. From here, one can go to each plan’s website to learn about the various benefits and coverage. Instead of relying on advertisements and marketing materials, the official websites are where one can read all the terms, conditions, and fine print writing involved in availing oneself of the grocery benefits.

3. Ways to use the Medicare grocery benefits
Seniors eligible for Medicare grocery benefits will get a flex card through the mail. This card can be used just like a prepaid debit card to pay for groceries. For additional help and information, one can contact a help center, whose number is usually provided on the back of the card. Besides this, many insurance companies also provide other forms of customer support, such as texting services that send reminders to utilize the benefits before they expire. This is quite an essential service since, most of the time, grocery benefits do not roll over to the next month. One has to use it within the allotted period or every month.

4. Allowance given in the grocery card for 2024
While there has been hype around an alleged $900 grocery allowance, the specific amount one gets in their grocery allowance card is based on the type of plan and the location. Usually, most providers offer an allowance ranging from $25 to $410. The $50 grocery allowance card is fairly common across several providers. These allowances are rolled out every month. However, some insurance providers may roll out the allowance every quarter. This generally happens when the allowance amount is higher. However, the $900 grocery benefits have not yet been rolled out by any insurance provider of Medicare Advantage plans.

5. Things to buy with grocery allowance for seniors
Nearly all grocery benefit plans list pre-approved items that one can buy with the card. Usually, these items differ based on the type of plan. Yet some items have been observed to be pretty common across all providers. These items generally include the following:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Frozen meals
• Fresh salad kits
• Dairy products
• Pantry staples such as beans, canned tomato products, and brown rice
• Water
• Soup
• Nutritional bars
• Meat and seafood

In addition, certain things cannot be purchased with the senior card for groceries. These include pet food, desserts, self-care items, and hygiene products. Some plans may have additional restricted items. It is recommended to check the plan’s official website or consult with the insurance provider’s customer service to learn more about which items are allowed and which items are restricted with the flex card.

6.  Where all a grocery allowance card can be used
A senior’s grocery benefits card can be used only at participating grocery stores and retailers, which means one cannot use it to buy groceries at any store, even if it is quite close to one’s residence. This makes it especially difficult for seniors who live in rural and urban areas and do not have access to big-box stores, supermarkets, and grocery stores. In such situations, seniors can look into a few plans that offer the option of shopping for groceries online. For instance, certain providers have plans that offer $50 to $100 quarterly grocery allowances with free doorstep delivery on qualifying orders. Also, with many insurance providers partnering with locally-owned grocery stores, access to grocery benefits for seniors across locations is expected to increase.