FirstLine Medical is the supplier of all products provided by the Health Products Benefit program. UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company manages FirstLine Medical through its affiliate OptumRx.
After I became disabled and dropped out of the 9 to 5 workforce, I began to get most of my healthcare from the veterans clinic at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. Nevertheless, I also enrolled in Medicaid and as part of that program I had to choose one of Medicaid's insurance companies as my primary provider. For several years, I never bothered accessing the services Medicaid offered, but after getting diagnosed with high blood pressure a few years ago, I decided to look into my Medicaid benefits.
Health Products Benefit
Periodically, my current healthcare provider (God, I hate that term) would send me brochures and letters in the mail. I usually ignored most of the stuff they sent, but then, a couple of years ago, I noticed the health supplies catalog they sent had a website. I went to the website, opened an account and realized that, as part of my UnitedHealthcare health plan, I could get several items free of charge every quarter.
Source: Health Products Benefit BrochureWhen my old electric toothbrush wore out, I used Health Products Benefit to get a new one.
For the past two years, I have been ordering health supplements and personal care supplies from the website. Most of the items I order are generic vitamins and supplements (like fish oil and biotin). But I've also ordered pain medications and a Digital Blood Pressure Monitor. Health Products Benefit offers all sorts of devices for those with various disabilities and infirmities: Bath Safety items, Home Medical devices, compression support, braces, canes, etc.
How It Works
Benefit Credits are added to your account the 2nd Monday of the month following your enrollment to the plan. After that, Benefit Credits are added to your account the 2nd Monday of each January, April, July & October. Unused Benefit Credits expire either on their expiration date or upon disenrollment from the plan. To find the expiration date of your Benefit Credits, refer to the home page on the upper right side of the screen.
Source: Health Products Benefit FAQ
In other words, if you are eligible for the program, you don't get the full benefits unless you use your credits within a certain time period.
So far, I've saved a lot of money by using my Health Products Benefit credits instead of going to Sack N Save or CVS and paying for things out of my pocket.
Excerpt from the Health Products Benefit Brochure brochure.
Source: Health Products Benefit Brochure
I would like to hear from my fellow Steemians who have used the Health Products Benefit or have other stories about UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (one of the biggest health insurance companies in America).