Common Merchant Questions
What is the HBC/OTC market opportunity?
A great resource to find out about what the HBC/OTC and overall health benefit market could mean for your business can be answered by reading, How Healthy Benefits Programs Can Be A Boon For Retailers, from Oliver Wyman Retail Consulting Group.
How do I start? Who do I talk with to get started?
- There are several paths to accept HBC/OTC benefits in your store.
- The “How to Get Started with Gateway Integration” on this site is an easy first step.
- Connect with your POS provider or wholesaler.
- Reach out directly to different terminal-based providers.
What are the requirements to accept HBC/OTC?
- The minimum requirements are:
- A method of transacting – either POS or Terminal.
- Merchant IDs from plan processors.
- Additional items include:
- Education and marketing pieces to tell your customers that HBC/OTC is accepted at your store.
- An understanding of the potential audit requirements from different agencies – related to approved purchases.
Common Questions from Customers
How much money do I have to spend?
Currently, each plan has different ways to find card balances. The most common being a login or phone call to your health plan.
Why are some supposedly eligible items rejected?
- CMS summarizes eligible items into different categories, like Over-the-Counter (OTC) or Grocery. Each health plan determines which items fall into those categories and it isn’t always a perfect science. Some items are eligible with certain plans/cards and not eligible with others.
How do I enroll?
Enrollment in different benefit plans is handled directly by the health plans and programs – not the local grocer. Reach out to prospective Medicare or Medicaid plan providers for more information.
