Icario, the healthcare industry’s largest health action company, today announced the launch of the Icario Benefits Care Card, a new way for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to deliver recurring benefits to members, including over-the-counter (OTC) products and support for vision, hearing, fitness and nutrition programs. The Icario Benefits Care Card allows MA plans to tailor restrictions to meet specific program goals while offering members benefits and incentives via a retail network covering more than 66,000 locations. The expansive retail network encompasses even those that are hardest to reach in the most rural areas.

With this latest offering, Icario customers benefit from yet another way to motivate members to take health action and address social determinants of health (SDoH) factors they may be dealing with by directly adding grocery, transportation, or other categories of funds to the member’s card to simplify and provide choice to each member’s unique needs and experience.

Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidelines for reward and incentive programs, eliminating the availability of unrestricted single-load and reloadable debit cards and gift cards from big box retailers. Under the new guidelines, health plans must limit rewards and incentives to specific products, retailers, or retail categories.

Icario’s Benefits Care Card ensures that health plans comply with CMS guidelines while promoting improved member satisfaction by delivering a variety of plan benefits on a single, easy-to-use card. The capability enables plans to encourage and incentivize healthy behaviors among members by offering them rewards that match the plan’s specific goals, including closing gaps in care. Any unused funds are returned to the plan, making the solution both valuable and cost-effective.

“We’re already the leader in helping health plans to get their members to take action on their health, and the Icario Benefits Care Card is another way for them to do just that. The new offering is a win-win proposition for plans because it allows them to meet specific goals they may have while also improving relationships with members by offering them meaningful incentives that make a difference in their lives.”

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Troy Jelinek

CCO, Icario

Icario Benefits Care Card Benefits

Icario Benefits Care Card augments the company’s industry-leading Icario Connect platform, giving health plans new levels of flexibility as they engage with and incentivize members to take health action.

Key benefits include:

  • The ability to limit which products in specific retail categories are allowed for purchase to meet a member’s unique needs and goals of the health plan
  • Unspent funds returned to the health plan at the end of program cycles, eliminating excess spending on unused funds
  • Both physical and digital cards are available for members based on their individual preferences and lifestyles
  • The largest set of restricted product catalogs and widest retail acceptance network in the healthcare industry, giving both plans and members an unmatched level of choice, even encompassing individuals that live in the most rural of areas

Driving Healthy Behavior with Reward and Incentives cta

Driving Healthy Behavior Through Rewards and Incentive Programs

Discover the 7 essential steps of a winning rewards and incentives program within healthcare, plus learn concrete examples of successful applications.

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