Essential Plan Users: Your New 2025 OTC Card!

The Essential Plan offers 100% health insurance coverage for lower income New York state visa-holding residents at little to no cost. Those using the plan receive comprehensive benefits for a wide range of medical services across New York state, from routine visits, scans and testing, medications, dental, vision, and more.

With 2025 underway, Emblem Health has begun to offer a new over the counter (OTC) card to its Essential Plan members, and we’re excited to share everything it has to offer!

Receiving and Setting Up Your Card

Starting from 1/1/2025, anyone enrolled into the Essential Plan with Emblem Health as their plan carrier will receive this preloaded card as one of their plan documents through the mail. Those on any level of Essential Plan will qualify to receive this card, meaning actively enrolled on Essential Plans 4, 3, 2, 1, and 200-250.

To activate your card, visit your OTC card website at MyBenefitsCenter and provide the number of your OTC card from the mail as well as your date of birth. You will then be able to start using the card for both retail and online purchases.

How to Use Your OTC Card

Your OTC card comes preloaded with a $100 balance, which can be used for a combination of fresh and frozen healthy foods, like:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat and seafood
• Dairy products and eggs
• Pasta and beans
• Soup
• Frozen foods
• Many others!

Additionally, the card can be used for other health-related items, like OTC medication, home care items, and first aid kids/medical supplies.

To use the card, bring it to your visit to the pharmacy or grocery store and directly scan it to pay for the items you purchase. Your MyBenefitsCenter app will be very handy here, as you can also use it to scan and check if an item you have selected can be covered by your card.

You can also use the MyBenefitsCenter portal to view the online medical supply retailers that you can make purchases directly through your card on.

Quick tip: your MyBenefitsCenter portal can be used to locate stores in your area that provide items that are eligible for spending your OTC benefits on. You can also see your current balance as well as transaction history that you have with the card. The MyBenefitsCenter app is modeled directly after the website for easy use on-the-go.

Lastly, keep in mind that this is not a reimbursement card, so the only acceptable style of payment is scanning it at the time of purchase.

Other Things to Note

The $100 that your card comes filled with is refilled on a quarterly basis, so at the start of January, April, July, and October. Funds do not rollover for this card. It is highly recommended that you use your entire balance before the beginning of the next quarter.

For visa holders using these benefits, note that usage of your OTC card is not considered a public charge and your application for US citizenship or residency will not be affected by it.

You can find more in-depth information about this card on Emblem Health's Website, and more information will be released in the coming months.

If you have lost your card or have any questions about your OTC benefits, please contact Emblem Health member services directly at (888) 447-7703. Don’t wait! Take advantage of these new benefits as soon as possible when you enroll for the Essential Plan!