. According to Allied Market Research, the 2016 OTC market was valued over 200 billion dollars. The 2023 OTC market is projected to be valued at $335 billion. Centene corporation, Wellcare health plans, OTC Health Solutions, and CVS corporation have combined to use Medicare advantage plans OTC benefits to fatten and herd that cash cow into their collective barn.
March 27, 2019 Wellcare announced that Centene corporation would acquire Wellcare. 2021 Wellcare advantage health plans OTC benefits are provided through OTC Health Solutions’s catalog . OTC Health Solutions catalog exclusively provides WellCare health plan members an extremely limited selection of generic CVS OTC products.
Individuals enrolled in Wellcare advantage health plans must purchase OTC items through the OTC catalog in order to utilize their OTC quarterly benefit. The purchase of the limited items is restricted to 3 orders per quarter. The quarterly OTC amount must be spent within that quarter or it is lost. The purchase of the limited OTC items may be made by phone, in CVS stores, or online. The quarterly 3 order limit applies to all methods of purchase.
Wellcare advantage plan members desiring omega 3 supplements are limited to the choice of purchasing CVS generic brand Omega-3 Krill Oil 500mg 45CT for $26 or CVS generic Fish Oil Omega-3 1000mg 120 ct for $ 10 of their quarterly OTC benefit. That is quite a conundrum given that the Krill oil is out of stock online and at the local CVS store. So there is just one choice.
The advantage plan member really feels slighted when there are buy one, get one signs plastered throughout the CVS store supplement shelves but they are informed at the register they do not qualify for that offer. They are limited to the exact item in the catalog at the price stipulated in the catalog.
The above scenario repeats for other supplements and products. VITAMIN D3 2000 IU SOFTGELS, 100 CT, and CVS Health Vitamin D Softgels 5000IU, 100CT
out of stock, online and at the local store. CVS Health Aftersun Aloe Vera Moisturizing Gel, 20 oz $6, out of stock online and in the local store.
Should the advantage plan member decide to purchase a heating pad, or a rechargeable toothbrush they have one choice a CVS Health Vinyl Heating Pad $22 and the EASYFLEX PRO PREMIUM RECHARGEABLE TOOTHBRUSH,$55. The heating pad and rechargeable toothbrush is of such poor quality that they both received less than 3 stars out of 5 in CVS customer reviews.
So the advantage plan member is really restricted to buying generic items that they do not want or lose the benefit.
WellCare, CVS, OTC Health solutions, and Centene corporation have truly corralled that OTC cash cow. The WellCare advantage members must purchase through OTC health solutions and may only purchase limited CVS generic OTC items. WellCare, Centene, OTC health solutions, and CVS keep a tight rein on prices, availability, selection, and times of purchase.
CVS, Centene, WellCare, and OTC health solutions must be ecstatic. Their ecstasy comes at the high price of Wellcare's advantage plans members dissatisfaction and inability to purchase quality OTC items with their questionable OTC health plan benefit allotment.
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