Medicare Grocery Credits Shrank — Fil-Am Families, Check the Mail

This story appears in the health desk of the Philippine Times of Southern Nevada.

If a lola in your house is on a Medicare Advantage plan, a letter is arriving this month that is worth more than it looks. It is called the Annual Notice of Change, and Medicare plans send it every September to explain what changes in January.

Most people put it on the counter with the junk mail. This year that is a mistake, because a lot of Medicare grocery credits already got smaller — and the letter is where you find out what is left.

Here is the part nobody explained well: the benefit did not disappear because someone made a mistake on your account. A federal program ended.

The grocery and utility credits changed because VBID ended

For several years, many Medicare Advantage members got extras that had nothing to do with a doctor visit: a monthly credit for healthy groceries, help with a utility bill, money for over-the-counter items.

A lot of those came through a federal test program called Value-Based Insurance Design, or VBID. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the VBID Model would end after calendar year 2025, citing excess costs the agency could not address through policy changes. UnitedHealthcare’s member notice explains what that means for enrollees.

Food credits. Utility assistance. Housing and transportation support. Those were VBID benefits, and that pathway closed.

Some of it continues under a different program with a longer name: Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill, or SSBCI. But the door is narrower now. Under federal rules summarized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SSBCI is limited to enrollees who meet a statutory definition of chronically ill — and that definition “may not necessarily include all enrollees with a chronic condition.”

Read that twice. Having diabetes does not automatically qualify someone. The plan has to determine it, and CMS has to approve the benefit.

So if the grocery card stopped working in January and nobody could explain why, that is probably the explanation.

What is the Annual Notice of Change, and when does it arrive?

Medicare.gov says the Annual Notice of Change lists “any changes in coverage, costs, and more that will be effective in January.” Your plan sends it. Members receive it in September.

Medicare’s own instruction is to review it and decide whether the plan still fits for next year. If it never showed up, Medicare says to contact the plan directly.

The timing is not an accident. Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, with the new coverage starting January 1. The letter comes first so you can act during that window.

Miss the letter, and you find out in January at the pharmacy counter.

On Nevada Medicaid, the ride benefit is the one people forget

Medicaid works differently, and one benefit gets missed constantly in Las Vegas households: rides.

Nevada Medicaid covers non-emergency transportation to medically necessary covered services. It does not come from your health plan — the state uses a transportation broker called MTM. According to the Nevada Division of Health Care Financing and Policy’s MCO member FAQ, members request a ride or mileage reimbursement by contacting MTM at (844) 879-7341.

That is the number people call the plan for and get bounced around trying to find.

The same state FAQ notes that Medicaid managed care plans may offer their own Value-Added Services on top of standard coverage — dental, vision, fitness and wellness programs are the usual examples — and that each plan keeps its own benefits page. Nevada does not publish one master list, which is exactly why two neighbors on two different plans get two different answers.

Which Medicaid plans cover Clark County

Four plans have served urban Clark and Washoe counties since January 1, 2022, per the state’s MCO member FAQ:

• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Healthcare Solutions
• Health Plan of Nevada
• Molina Healthcare of Nevada
• SilverSummit Health Plan

A fifth joined this year. CareSource, the only nonprofit selected in Nevada’s managed care award, began serving Clark and Washoe counties plus rural Nevada on January 1, 2026.

If a family member was reassigned to a new plan this year, the extras changed with it. That is worth checking before somebody assumes a benefit is still there.

Key dates for Southern Nevada families

Three things to do this month

1. Find the Annual Notice of Change and open it. It is a thick envelope from the plan, not from Medicare. Look for the section on extra benefits. If it never came, call the plan’s member services number on the back of the card.

2. Write down what the plan actually still covers. Dental, vision, hearing, fitness, over-the-counter, transportation. Put that list with the insurance card. When a benefit is questioned in February, the list settles it.

3. On Medicaid, update your address at Access Nevada. Use “Report My Changes” at Access Nevada. Renewals for the Medicaid adult group move to every six months on January 1, 2027 — see our reporting on Nevada Medicaid work requirements and Fil-Am families. Twice the mail means twice the chance a letter goes to an old address.

Where to get free help reading the letter

Nobody should pay to have this explained. Free options first:

• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048 — Medicare’s own line, 24 hours a day
• Medicare Plan Finder — compare what plans in your ZIP code cover for next year
• MTM, (844) 879-7341 — Nevada Medicaid rides to covered appointments
• Your plan’s member services number — printed on the back of the card, and the only office that can confirm your own benefits

Be careful who else you call. Open Enrollment season brings a wave of cold calls to Medicare households. Medicare does not call to sell you a plan, and no legitimate service needs your Social Security number to tell you what your current plan covers.

Where these facts come from

The September timing of the Annual Notice of Change and the October 15 to December 7 Open Enrollment window come from Medicare.gov. The end of VBID after December 31, 2025 is reported in a UnitedHealthcare member notice describing the CMS announcement. The SSBCI eligibility limitation is quoted from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food is Medicine resource hub, which cites Section 1852(a)(3)(D) of the Social Security Act.

Nevada’s managed care plan list, the MTM transportation number, and the note on Value-Added Services come from the Nevada Division of Health Care Financing and Policy MCO member FAQ. CareSource’s January 1, 2026 start date and service area come from its own announcement of the contract award.

Benefit amounts are deliberately not listed here. They differ by plan, by county and by year, and the only document that states yours correctly is the one in your mailbox.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Medicare Annual Notice of Change arrive?

In September. Medicare.gov says your plan sends it each year to describe changes in coverage and costs that take effect in January. If it does not arrive, contact your plan directly and ask for it.

Why did my Medicare grocery card stop working?

Many food and utility credits came through the federal VBID program, which ended after December 31, 2025. Some plans continue similar benefits under SSBCI, but that program is limited to members who meet a federal definition of chronically ill. Your plan can confirm your own status.

Does Nevada Medicaid pay for rides to the doctor?

Yes. Nevada Medicaid covers non-emergency transportation to medically necessary covered services through a broker, MTM. The state MCO member FAQ directs members to call MTM at (844) 879-7341 to request a ride or mileage reimbursement. Book ahead rather than the same day.

Which Medicaid plans serve Las Vegas and Clark County?

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Healthcare Solutions, Health Plan of Nevada, Molina Healthcare of Nevada and SilverSummit Health Plan have served urban Clark County since 2022. CareSource joined on January 1, 2026, covering Clark, Washoe and rural counties.

When can I change my Medicare plan?

During Open Enrollment, October 15 through December 7. Changes made in that window start January 1. Compare plans yourself at Medicare Plan Finder or call 1-800-MEDICARE, TTY 1-877-486-2048.

Keep this in the family.
Send this page to the titas, titos and lolas on Medicare. One opened envelope this month prevents a surprise in January.

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Have a correction or a story? Email info@ptsnv.com.

This article is general information, not medical, legal or insurance advice. Benefits vary by plan, county and year. Confirm your own coverage with your plan or with Medicare before making any decision.