Medicare Advantage Essential Extras
Special no-cost Medicare Advantage benefits
supporting your health, comfort and convenience
When it comes to finding the right Medicare Advantage plan, there’s a lot to consider. That includes selecting a plan to meet your health needs and budget, with the right coverage and support.
The good news is that Medicare Advantage plans from Empire bring you all of the above features and more. And that adds up to greater value for your health care dollar.
A whole-health approach to wellbeing
At Empire, we take a broad approach to supporting our members’ health. That means addressing a wide range of health-related considerations, including comfort and convenience to make everyday life easier. The result is comprehensive wellbeing benefits and support that help members live longer, healthier lives. That’s where Essential Extras comes in.
Essential Extras benefits
Created exclusively for Medicare Advantage members, our innovative Essential Extras provide valuable, no-cost benefits to enhance quality of life and health outcomes. Members can customize their approach to whole health improvement by choosing up to two of the following Essential Extras benefits, depending on their plan:*
Assistive Devices – up to $500 per year for assistive and safety devices such as handrails, shower stools, raised toilet seats, and temporary mobility ramps
Flex Account – a $500 annual allowance to spend on additional dental, vision, or hearing needs above the existing plan benefit
Health and Fitness Tracker – a fitness tracking device, plus access to online programs and coaching to improve daily activity and overall health
Healthy Groceries – a monthly allowance for the purchase of healthy grocery items such as fresh meats and vegetables, frozen meats, dairy items, canned goods, and more
Healthy meals – up to 180 meals per year, which are prepared, frozen and delivered to the home of a member with a qualifying medical condition or illness
In-Home Support – up to 60 hours per year of companion benefit to help with social isolation, plus assistance with tech support, medication reminders, transportation, and errands
Personal Home Helper – up to 124 hours per year of home health aide services for assistance such as bathing and dressing, mobility, meal prep, light chores, or relief care
Pest Control – quarterly home treatment to reduce the impact of pest-related complications on a chronic medical condition
Transportation - up to 60 one-way trips per year to health-related appointments and visits to the pharmacy
* Please Note: Essential Extras is not available with all Medicare Advantage plans. For some plans, the member’s doctor needs to agree that the benefit is appropriate for his or her care. Unused benefits do not roll over to the next calendar year.
Learn more
For more information on our Medicare Advantage plans, or to purchase a plan that meets your needs and add Essential Extras, visit the Medicare Online Store.
Current members: log in to the secure member portal to view your Medicare Advantage plan benefit information, then view and select Essential Extras benefits available under your plan.
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Empire BlueCross BlueShield is a Medicare Advantage plan with a Medicare contract. Empire BlueCross BlueShield is a SNP plan with a Medicare contract and a contract with the state Medicaid program. Enrollment in Empire BlueCross BlueShield depends on contract renewal.