Information

MEDICARE PLAN BENEFITS

Explore the wellness programs and benefits available to Blue Shield of California Medicare plan members*. Benefits will vary by location and plan, so please call the number on your member ID card to confirm your coverage.

Benefits

Hearing aid benefit

Annual routine hearing test and coverage for some hearing aids, serviced by EPIC Hearing Healthcare (EPIC®).

Personal Emergency Response System (PERS)

A personal emergency response system that provides access to help 24/7 at the push of a button.

Dental and vision care

Explore benefits for dental and vision coverage.

Acupuncture and Chiropractic services

Access routine acupuncture and chiropractic services not covered by Medicare.

Healthy Grocery³

Members in participating plans who are diagnosed with a chronic condition receive a monthly allowance to spend on healthy foods.

Over-the-counter (OTC) items benefit for Blue Shield Balance (HMO)

Members get a monthly allowance card for over-the-counter items and health-related products.

Programs and services*

Teladoc

Talk to a doctor 24/7, whenever you need care. Blue Shield members have access to the national network of U.S. board-certified physicians from Teladoc®, which allows you to consult a board-certified physician over video chat or phone.

Quarterly allowance for Over-the-Counter items⁴

Blue Shield offers a quarterly allowance for Over-the-Counter (OTC) items, that can be used for eligible health and wellness products. This includes cold and allergy medicines, first-aid supplies, pain relievers, and more.

Transportation

Schedule one-way trips for non-emergency transportation to doctor’s offices.

NurseHelp 24/7℠

Have a medical concern? Ask a registered nurse anytime day or night for advice and answers to health-related questions.

Wellvolution

Take charge of your health and well-being with personalized programs. Included with your Medicare plan.

SilverSneakers® fitness and wellness programs

SilverSneakers®, your fitness and wellness benefit at no extra cost, can help improve your life so you can continue to do the things you love.

Discounts and value-added services for Medicare Supplement members¹

ID theft protection and credit monitoring

ID theft protection and credit monitoring, at no additional cost. Eligible Blue Shield members may opt in to identity theft protection services.²

Alternative care†

Relax and save 25% off on specialty healthcare services, such as acupuncture, from practitioners participating in the ChooseHealthy® program. †

NurseHelp 24/7 is a service mark of Blue Shield of California. NurseHelp 24/7 is a healthcare advice line. Nurses do not provide medical services for treatment or diagnosis.

*Please note that not all of the benefits, discounts, and additional services are available for all plans. Contact Customer Care at the number on the back of your member ID card to learn what discounts are available for your plan.

** Non-emergency, plan-approved health-related locations within the plan service area.

¹ These discount program services are not a covered benefit of Blue Shield health plans and none of the terms or conditions of Blue Shield health plans apply. Discount program services are available to all members with a Blue Shield medical, dental, or life insurance plan. The networks of practitioners and facilities in the discount programs are managed by the external program administrators identified below, including any screening and credentialing of providers. Blue Shield does not review the services provided by discount program providers for medical necessity or efficacy, nor does Blue Shield make any recommendations, representations, claims, or guarantees regarding the practitioners, their availability, fees, services, or products. Members who are not satisfied with products or services received from the discount program may use the Blue Shield grievance process described in the Grievance Process section of the Evidence of Coverage and Health Service Agreement. Blue Shield reserves the right to terminate this program at any time without notice. Discount programs are administered by or arranged through the following independent companies:

Alternative Care Discounts – Services provided by the ChooseHealthy program, made available through ChooseHealthy, Inc., a subsidiary of American Specialty Health Plans of California, Inc.
Hearing aid discount – EPIC Hearing Healthcare (not available in all geographic areas)
Discount Vision Program – Vision Plan Services (VSP)
LASIK and PRK – QualSight LASIK, NVISION Laser Eye Centers

² All eligible members have automatic access to ID theft-protection services and the option to enroll in credit monitoring. Vendor requirements for eligible members that are under the age of 18: parent or guardian must opt in/sign up for pre-breach services.

³ The benefits mentioned are part of special supplemental benefits for the chronically ill available in select plans. Not all plan members will qualify. Refer to the Evidence of Coverage for details and eligibility requirements.

⁴ Two-time use-per-quarter allowance for eligible items. Unused allowance cannot be rolled over into the next quarter.

†The alternative care discounts are available to some members with a Blue Shield medical plan. These services are not covered benefits under your health plan and the discount program can be discontinued at any time. Complaints related to the program are subject to Blue Shield's grievance and appeals process. You are obligated to pay participating healthcare providers directly for the discounted services. Please note that the ChooseHealthy program is not insurance. You should check any insurance benefits you have before using this discount program. The ChooseHealthy program provides for discounts from specialty health care providers. You are obligated to pay for all services from those providers but will receive a discount from those participating providers for services included in the program. The ChooseHealthy program does not make any payments directly to participating providers. The ChooseHealthy program has no liability for providing or guaranteeing services and assumes no liability for the quality of services rendered. Discounts on services available through the ChooseHealthy program are subject to change. Please consult the ChooseHealthy website for current availability. ChooseHealthy is a federal registered trademark of American Specialty Health Plans of California, Inc. (ASH Plans) and used with permission herein.

© 2023 Teladoc, Inc. All rights reserved. Teladoc and the Teladoc logo are trademarks of Teladoc Health, Inc. and may not be used without written permission. Teladoc does not replace the primary care physician. Teladoc does not guarantee that a prescription will be written. Teladoc operates subject to state regulation and may not be available in certain states. Teladoc does not prescribe DEA-controlled substances, non-therapeutic drugs, and certain other drugs which may be harmful because of their potential for abuse. Teladoc physicians reserve the right to deny care for potential misuse of services.

Y0118_22_335B2_M Accepted 02132023
Page last updated: 3/31/2023