To be eligible for a Medicare over-the-counter (OTC) card, you must meet the general criteria for Medicare coverage and enroll in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan that offers OTC cards as a benefit.

To qualify for Medicare, you must:

  • be 65 years old or over
  • be younger than age 65 years and have a qualifying health condition, such as:
    • amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease
    • end stage renal disease (ESRD)
    • a disability

You can sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan that includes coverage for an OTC card during certain windows, called enrollment periods. These include:

  • Initial enrollment: a 7-month window that includes the 3 months before and after the month of your 65th birthday
  • Open enrollment: a window from October 15 to December 7 where anyone with Medicare can change or drop their coverage
  • Medicare Advantage open enrollment: a window from January 1 to March 31 where people with Medicare Advantage plans can switch to different Advantage plans (such as plans that offer OTC cards) or return to Original Medicare (parts A and B)

Medicare OTC cards are prepaid benefits cards that allow enrollees to buy OTC health and wellness products from participating retailers.

Retailers are typically pharmacy or grocery store chains, and OTC benefits work in-store or online. Eligible products differ between plans but may include items such as:

  • allergy, cold, and flu medications
  • pain relievers
  • first aid supplies
  • vitamins and dietary supplements
  • digestive health products
  • dental hygiene supplies

OTC cards are available through Medication Advantage plans only.

Not all Medicare recipients have coverage for OTC products.

People enrolled in Original Medicare (parts A and B) and Part D prescription drug plans do not have coverage for OTC items.

But most people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans do. According to the nonprofit health policy research organization KFF, about 88% of people with individual Medicare Advantage plans had OTC benefits in 2024.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, there’s a good chance that you have OTC benefits. To figure this out, you can try:

  • checking your Evidence of Eoverage (EOC) documentation
  • calling your plan’s customer service line (found on the back of your Medicare Advantage card)
  • logging into your online account and reviewing your benefits

When you have a Medicare OTC card, your insurance provider will automatically load funds to your card at set intervals. The amount you’ll get — and how often it gets added — will depend on the specifics of your plan.

You may have funds added quarterly, monthly, or at some other frequency. Another factor to consider, which also depends on your plan, is how quickly you must spend your benefits before they expire.

With some plans, funds roll over into new benefit periods, whereas with others, they do not. Consider contacting your plan’s customer service line if you have any questions.