Using your 2026 UPMC for Life Complete Care Shop Healthy Card

If you’d like to learn more about using your Shop Healthy Card reward dollars, visit our preventive care reward program page. 

You have access to resources that can help you understand how your UPMC for Life Complete Care (HMO D-SNP) Shop Healthy Card works, where you can use your card, what types of products and services you can buy, and more!

Jump to a section:

• How the Shop Healthy Card works
• How to check your Shop Healthy Card balance
• Using your Shop Healthy Card at retail stores
• Using your Shop Healthy Card to buy mail-order products
• How to use your Shop Healthy Card to pay for utilities
• How to submit a claim for reimbursement
• Frequently asked questions about using your Shop Healthy Card
• Shop Healthy Card additional resources

How the Shop Healthy Card works

The Shop Healthy Card gives members additional allowances that can help them support their health and wellness throughout the year. It works just like a prepaid debit card!   

Your allowances will be added to your card on the first day of the month, starting on your plan effective date. At the end of each month, all unused allowance dollars will expire. Your allowances will not roll over from month to month.

All UPMC for Life Complete Care members get $60 per month to spend on over-the-counter (OTC) products and home safety products.

• OTC products
  • You can use your Shop Healthy Card to buy covered OTC products at participating retail stores, like Costco, Dollar General, Giant Eagle, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart. To do this, you must shop in-store.
  • You can also buy OTC products from our mail-order catalog.
• Home safety products
  • You can use your card to buy home safety products from our mail-order catalog. 
  • These products are in addition to your home safety products benefit that lets you choose products each year at no cost. 

If you qualify for the Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) program, you will get an additional $110 per month for healthy foods and $40 per month for covered household utilities.*

To qualify for the SSBCI program, you must qualify for Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) and have one of the chronic illnesses listed below. Your chronic illness must be diagnosed by your doctor, and your doctor must submit the claim to UPMC Health Plan. Once we receive, process, and pay the claim from your doctor, your allowances will be automatically loaded to your Shop Healthy Card on the first of the next month. This could take 2-3 months from the time you see your doctor.

Chronic Illnesses:

Check your Shop Healthy Card balance to see if you’ve received these additional allowances!

• $110 per month for healthy foods*—You can use your card to buy healthy foods, like breads and healthy grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and seafood, at participating retail stores.
• $40 per month for covered household utilities*:
  • Electric
  • Gas
  • Heating
  • Sewage
  • Trash
  • Water

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How to check your Shop Healthy Card balance

You can check your Shop Healthy Card balance in three easy ways:

• Call our automated system 24/7 at 1-833-293-6484 (TTY: 711).
• Have your UPMC for Life member ID card ready. You will enter your 11-digit primary member ID number to check your balance.
• Do not enter your Shop Healthy Card number to check your balance.
• Log in to the UPMC Health Plan member site.
• Download and log in to the UPMC Health Plan app.

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Using your Shop Healthy Card at retail stores

You can use your Shop Healthy Card to buy covered OTC products at participating retail stores, like Costco, Dollar General, Giant Eagle, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart. 

If you qualify for the SSBCI program, you can also use your card to buy covered healthy foods at participating retail stores.*

Remember, the Shop Healthy Card works just like a prepaid debit card. At checkout, swipe your Shop Healthy Card to pay for covered products. After swiping your card, if you still owe a remaining amount on your purchase, you can use another form of payment to complete your transaction.

Important: Some retailers may require you to enter a 4-digit PIN at checkout to complete your transaction. You can create a PIN 24/7 by calling 1-833-647-9633 and following the prompts.  

You can buy 50 products per transaction at participating retail stores. If you have to pay out-of-pocket for covered products, you can submit a claim for reimbursement. You must have the applicable allowance dollars available on your card to be reimbursed.

Find participating retail stores

Use the Merchant Locator Tool to see the full list of participating retail stores and find specific retail store locations near you:

UPMC Health Plan member site

• Log in to the UPMC Health Plan member site.
• On the Spending Accounts card on the homepage, click View Account Summary.
• Under Store Locator, enter your search criteria and click Search. 

UPMC Health Plan app

• Log in to the UPMC Health Plan app
• Tap View Account Details under UPMC for Life Complete Care Shop Healthy Card on the insurance tab. 
• Scroll down to find the Shopping Card Features section, then tap Store Locator. 

What products are covered at retail stores?

We’ve made it easy to shop for covered products in-store. You can use the UPMC Health Plan member site and UPMC Health Plan app to look up eligible products. 

UPMC Health Plan member site

• Log in to the UPMC Health Plan member site.
• On the Spending Accounts card on the homepage, click View Account Summary.
• Click Eligible Product Lookup.
  
• Enter the PLU or UPC code for any product and click Search.  
  

UPMC Health Plan app

• Log in to the UPMC Health Plan app
• Tap Scan Items under UPMC for Life Complete Care Shop Healthy Card on the insurance tab. 
• Scan the product barcode to see if it’s covered. 
  

Here are the types of OTC products you can buy at retail stores:

Here are the types of healthy foods you can buy at retail stores, if eligible:

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Using your Shop Healthy Card to buy mail-order products

You can use your Shop Healthy Card to buy OTC products and home safety products through our mail-order catalog. Products ordered through mail order will be delivered by mail to your home. Here are your mail-order options:

• UPMC Health Plan member site:

1. Log in to the UPMC Health Plan member site.
2. On the Spending Accounts card on the homepage, click View Account Summary. 
3. To buy OTC products, click Over-the-Counter (OTC) Resources. Then click Visit the UPMC for Life OTC Website.
4. To buy home safety products, click Shop Healthy Card Resources. Then click Home Safety Products. 

• UPMC Health Plan app:

1. Log in to the UPMC Health Plan app
2. Tap View Account Details under UPMC for Life Complete Care Shop Healthy Card on the insurance tab.
3. To buy OTC products, tap Over-the-Counter Store.
4. To buy home safety products, tap Home Safety Products.

• Order by mail: See a copy of our catalog and complete an order form. Mail completed order forms to OTC Servicing Center, PO Box 526266, Miami, FL 33152-9819.
• Order by phone: A team of experts is standing by at 1-800-688-2515 (TTY: 711) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Here are some examples of the OTC products and home safety products you can buy through mail order. See our mail-order catalog for a complete list.

OTC products

• Allergy
• Antacids and acid reducers
• Digestive health
• Cold and flu
• Dental and denture care
• Diabetes care
• Eye and ear care
• First aid
• Nutritional supplements
• Pain relievers and fever reducers
• Vitamins and minerals

Home safety products

• Nonslip bathmat 
• Handheld shower 
• Grab bar
• Grabber/reacher tool 
• Motion sensor light 
• Dressing stick 
• Long-handled shoehorn 
• Nonskid socks 

UPMC for Life does not install home safety devices or reimburse for costs associated with the installation of home safety devices. UPMC for Life is not liable for improper installation, repairs, or other modifications. Members are responsible for any and all costs associated with installation.

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How to use your card to pay for utilities

If you qualify for the SSBCI program, you will get $40 per month to pay for covered household utilities.* 

• You can purchase utilities through the vendor of your choice. Use your card to pay your utility provider directly, either by mail, by phone, or online. To do this, make sure your utility provider accepts MasterCard.
• You can also pay your utilities out-of-pocket and request reimbursement for the cost. See the reimbursement process below.
• You cannot use your card to pay a landlord or request reimbursement for payments made to a landlord.

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How to submit a claim for reimbursement

• UPMC Health Plan member site
1. Log in to the UPMC Health Plan member site.
2. On the Spending Accounts card on the homepage, click View Account Summary.
3. Click Submit a Reimbursement Claim.

• UPMC Health Plan app
1. Log into the UPMC Health Plan app.
2. Tap View Account Details under UPMC for Life Complete Care Shop Healthy Card on the insurance tab. 
3. Click Submit Reimbursement. 

You have up to 90 days from the date of the transaction to submit a claim for reimbursement or correct a claim already submitted. Submitted claims can take up to 72 hours to process. We will reimburse you by mailing you a check. Please allow 10-14 business days to receive your mailed check. Or you can set up direct deposit through the UPMC for Life Shop Healthy Card Portal – see the additional resources below to learn  more. After your claim is processed, please allow 24-48 hours to receive your direct deposit reimbursement.

You must include proper documentation for the expenses included on this reimbursement form. Please include copies only of your receipts. Do not send original receipts. Receipts cannot be returned to you or retrieved if lost.

Proper documentation for expenses includes a third-party receipt containing the following information:

• Date of the transaction
• Name of the merchant or store
• Name or description of the product(s) or service(s) purchased
• Dollar amount of the product(s) or service(s) purchased

Proper documentation for utility payments includes a third-party receipt that contains the following information:

• Date(s) of the utility payment
• Name of the utility provider
• Description of the utility service (for example, electric, gas, water)
• If utilities are included in your rent, an itemized receipt that breaks out the utilities from the rest of the rent costs must be included.

Unacceptable forms of documentation include the following:

• Letters from a landlord
• Credit card receipts that only reflect a payment
• Handwritten receipts
• Copies of checks
• Bills for prepaid expenses where services have not yet occurred

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Frequently asked questions about using your Shop Healthy Card

Does my allowance expire?

The Shop Healthy Card is a monthly allowance. All unused allowance dollars will expire on the last day of the month. Your allowance(s) will be added to your card on the first of each month.

Where can I use my Shop Healthy Card?

You can use your Shop Healthy Card to buy eligible products at participating retail stores and through our mail-order catalog. You can also use your card to pay the utility provider of your choosing but to do this, the utility provider must accept MasterCard. If your utility provider does not accept Mastercard, you can pay for your utilities out-of-pocket and submit a claim for reimbursement. You must have allowance dollars available to be reimbursed.

Why don’t I have the healthy food and utility allowances on my Shop Healthy Card?  

To get the healthy food allowance and utility allowance, you must qualify for the SSBCI program. To qualify for the SSBCI program, you must qualify for Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) and have one of the specified chronic illnesses listed in the How the Shop Healthy Card works section. Your chronic illness must be diagnosed by your doctor, and your doctor must submit the claim to UPMC Health Plan. Once we receive, process, and pay the claim from your doctor, your allowances will be automatically loaded to your Shop Healthy Card. This could take 2-3 months from the time you see your doctor.  

How do I see my recent transactions?

Our digital tools are the easiest way to manage your Shop Healthy Card. You can check your account balance, see your recent transactions, submit claims, and more. You can access these tools on both the UPMC Health Plan member site and the UPMC Health Plan app.

How do I know what products are covered at retail stores?

You can use the Eligible Product Lookup tool in the UPMC Health Plan member site or use the Barcode Scanner Tool in-store while you shop! The Barcode Scanner Tool is available in the  UPMC Health Plan app. To use it, simply log in to the app, tap Scan Items on the Insurance tab, and then scan the product’s barcode to see if it’s covered. You can use these tools for both OTC products and healthy foods.

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Shop Healthy Card additional resources

• UPMC for Life Complete Care Shop Healthy Card Catalog
• UPMC for Life Over-the-Counter Order Form
• UPMC for Life Shop Healthy Card Reimbursement Form
• Set up direct deposit on the UPMC for Life Shop Healthy Card Portal:
  
  • Log in to the  UPMC Health Plan member site.
  • On the Spending Accounts card on the homepage, click View Account Summary.
  • Click Shop Healthy Card Resources, then click UPMC for Life Shop Healthy Card Portal.
  • Once on the portal, select Accounts, then Banking/Card.  
  • Click Add Bank Account, complete the required fields, and click Submit. 
  • Within the next 24 hours, a small microdeposit will be added to your bank account. Once the deposit is made, go back to the UPMC for Life Shop Healthy Card Portal and click One or more bank accounts require activation under Tasks. 
  • Enter the amount that was deposited into your account and click Submit. 
  • Next, go to Accounts and click Payment Method.  
  • Click Update. Select Direct Deposit and click Submit.  

• Access the UPMC for Life OTC Store:
  • Online:
    • Log in to the UPMC Health Plan member site.
    • On the Spending Accounts card on the homepage, click View Account Summary.
    • Find the Quick Links and click Over-the-counter (OTC) Resources. Then click UPMC for Life OTC Store.
  • Mobile:
    • Log in to the UPMC Health Plan app.
    • Tap View Account Details under UPMC for Life Complete Care Shop Healthy Card on the insurance tab, then click Over-the-Counter Store.

*This benefit is part of the Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) program. To be eligible, you must qualify for Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) and have one of the following chronic illnesses: chronic and disabling mental health conditions, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disorders, substance use disorders (alcohol, tobacco, opioid), diabetes, or other eligible conditions not listed. Eligibility for this benefit cannot be guaranteed based solely on your condition. All applicable eligibility requirements must be met before the benefit is provided. For details, please contact us.

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