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Plan Benefits

OTC Benefit
Card

The Benefits You Need to Live the Lifestyle You Deserve.
As a valued Partners Health Plan member, you have access to a variety of benefits through NationsBenefits® to help improve your overall health and well-being.

About Your Benefits:

Partners Health Plan (PHP) Provides qualified members $150 a month to purchase healthy food, personal care and other over-the-counter (OTC) items, and $65 a month to help you pay for utilities.

NEW in 2025: Rent and Mortgage Assistance

You can now use your OTC card Utility benefit allowance to be used to help pay your rent or mortgage costs in addition to utilities such as Internet, Telephone, Cable, Water, Gas, Oil, or Electric. Your utility benefit is $65 per month in a purse that is separate from your OTC/Grocery benefits. Your utility benefit can be rolled over from month to month but cannot be combined with your OTC/Grocery purse.

Utility Benefit FAQ

Over-the-Counter (OTC)

Order from a wide variety of brand-name and generic health and wellness products using your monthly benefit of $150.

  • You may place orders using the catalog and mail-in order form included with it, or
    you may obtain OTC products by visiting a participating retail location.
  • You can also place OTC orders online through the Benefits Pro Portal at
    PHP.NationsBenefits.com or call us directly at (833) 689-3378 (TTY: 711)

Groceries

Enjoy access to healthy food items. You can use your monthly allowance to buy the healthy food items you need using your monthly benefit of $150.

  • You may obtain healthy food items by visiting a participating retail location to
    use your monthly allowance.
  • You can also place grocery orders online through the Benefits Pro Portal at
    PHP.NationsBenefits.com or call us directly at (833) 689-3378 (TTY: 711)

Fresh Produce

A wide variety of fruits and vegetables to help you achieve your desired health goals using your monthly benefit of $150.

  • You can place fresh produce orders online through the Benefits Pro Portal at
    PHP.NationsBenefits.com or call us directly at (833) 689-3378 (TTY: 711)

Prepared Meals

A convenient way to access meals rich in nutrients to maintain better health and well-being using your monthly benefit of $150.

  • You can place fresh produce orders online through the Benefits Pro Portal at PHP.NationsBenefits.com or call us directly at (833) 689-3378 (TTY: 711)

Benefits Pro Portal

Visit the Benefits Pro Portal via PHP.NationsBenefits.com for the easiest way to access your benefits. Ordering your products and tracking your benefit has never been easier:

  • Search by category, price, and more
  • View available benefit allowance
    in real-time
  • Order health and wellness OTC products,
    healthy food items, fresh produce, and
    prepared meal
  • Track order status in real-time
  • View, print, and request additional copies
    of your OTC catalog
  • Find the nearest participating retail locations
    to make in-store purchases
  • You can also activate your OTC card via
    the Benefits Pro Portal
Make Sure to Activate Your Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Card OTC Card as Soon as it Arrives Prior to Use to Take Full Advantage of Your Benefits

Call NationsBenefits at (833) 689-3378 (TTY: 711)
with any questions you may have.

Member Experience Advisors are available
8 a.m. - 8 p.m. local time, 7 days per week,
365 days per year.

Language support services
are available free of charge.

Nations Benefit Utility Benefit
Reminders & Frequently Asked Questions

Important Points to Remember Regarding Your Utility Benefit

  • Please ensure that your OTC is activated before using your utility allowance.
  • Inform the utility company representative that your Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Card must be entered as “credit”.
Who is eligible for this benefit?

Actively enrolled community members are eligible to participate in the utilities, rental, and mortgage assistance benefit via the Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Card as known as the “OTC Card” administered by Nations Benefits. Members who reside in an IRA, ICF, or family care are not eligible to participate.

What can the Utilities, Rental, and Mortgage Assistance Benefit be used for?

$65 per month can be used to help pay for utilities such as Internet, Telephone (landline or cell phone), Cable, Water, Gas, Oil or Electric, and Rent or Mortgage costs through your OTC card. Your monthly benefits can roll over from month to month and must be used by December 31, 2025.

Example 1: If you enroll on April 1, 2025, you will receive $65 in your Utilities, Rental, and Mortgage wallet which can be used during April or rolled over into May.

Example 2: If you are enrolled with PHP on or before January 1, 2025, you will receive $65 in your Utilities, Rental, and Mortgage wallet which can be used during January or the balance can be rolled over to February.

How do I use this benefit to pay my rent or mortgage costs?

For members who choose to use all or part of their Utilities, Rental, and Mortgage Assistance Benefit allowance to help cover rent or mortgage costs, your Bank or Landlord must be set up to take the OTC card as a form of payment. Some landlords or mortgage holders do not accept payment from prepaid cards with a limited balance available.

How can I use this benefit if my landlord or bank is not set up to take the OTC card as a form of payment?

You can choose to pay your rent or mortgage upfront utilizing your funds and request reimbursement from your utilities, rental, and mortgage assistance balance on your OTC card. You can only request reimbursement utilizing funds from your utilities, rental, and mortgage assistance balance 4 times a calendar year.

OR

You can choose to use your entire allowance to pay home utility bills. Most utility providers are set up to take payments utilizing the Benefits Mastercard Prepaid Card Master Card.

How do I request reimbursement for rent or mortgage costs?

You can request rent or mortgage reimbursement from your available utilities, rental, and mortgage assistance balance by completing a reimbursement request online at php.nationsbenefits.com or you can call Nations Benefits customer service at 833-689-3378 to request a reimbursement form to be mailed to you. Proof of rent or mortgage payment (receipts) must be submitted with the completed form. Members cannot request reimbursement for food/groceries, OTC items, or home utility bill charges that were declined using the OTC card.

How long will it take for me to receive reimbursement?

Reimbursement requests may take up to 30 days to process.

How do I pay for utilities using this benefit?

You should contact your utility company Before paying with your OTC card. Utility companies may process card payments differently.

  • When speaking with a utility company representative, you should let them know you are using a Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid OTC Card that has a limited balance available. Some companies may require you to split your payment, first authorizing a transaction up to your allowance amount, and then authorizing a second transaction for the remaining balance. They may ask you to pay this transaction fee with another form of payment or you may be able to use the payment card.
  • We also encourage you to use your Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid OTC Card to help pay down your balance in advance of your payment due date.
  • Please contact your utility company representative to see if you can set up automatic payments with your Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Card.
What utility companies participate in this program?

Some utility companies that may participate in this program are Verizon, AT&T, Spectrum, T Mobile, Optimum, Con Edison, National Grid, etc.

What utilities are excluded from this benefit?

Housekeeping, landscaping, pay-per-view, streaming services, trash collection, etc.

What day of the month does the Utilities, Rental, and Mortgage Assistance benefit allowance become available in my account?

Your funds will be available in your account on the first day of each month.

Can I use my Utilities, Rental, and Mortgage Assistance benefit allowance to add to my OTC & Grocery benefit allowance?

No, the utility benefit allowance will be in a separate purse from the OTC & Grocery purse and cannot be combined.

Q. How do I know what my balance is for the Utilities, Rental, and Mortgage Assistance benefit?

A. You can contact Nations Benefits directly at 833-639-3378 or via their web portal at PHP.NationsBenefits.com.

Can I use this benefit for a utility or rent/ mortgage bill that is located at another location other than my primary residence?

No, the utility bill, rent, or mortgage must be attached to your place of residence.

Can I use my OTC card to pay for utilities, rent, or mortgage bills that are under another person’s name?

Yes, you can use your card to make a payment if the bill is in the name of a relative or caretaker. The utility bill, rent, or mortgage does not have to be in your name if it is your primary residence.

Can I pay my utility bill at a grocery store, pharmacy, check cashing place, gas station, etc.?

You cannot use your card to pay utilities at a grocery store, pharmacy, check cashing place, gas station, etc.

What do I do if I lose my card?

Please contact Nations Benefits at 833-639-3378 or via their web portal at PHP.NationsBenefits.com.

Important Points to Remember Regarding Your Utilities, Rental, and Mortgage Assistance Benefit.

  • Please ensure that your OTC card is activated before using your Utilities, Rental, and Mortgage Assistance
  • You may incur an additional fee from your utility company for using your Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Card.
  • Inform the utility company representative, Landlord, or Bank that your Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Card must be entered as “credit”.

For more information about enrolling in the
PHP Care Complete FIDA-IDD Plan:

Contact us!

Complete the form below to connect with a Partners Health Plan Outreach Associate to learn more about PHP FIDA-IDD Plan benefits and enrollment procedures or to request informational materials. 

I prefer to be contacted by: *

Connect with our outreach team!

You can reach out to one of our NYS licensed Outreach Associates to schedule a one on one education session at your convenience.

Meet the PHP Outreach Team

Are you ready to enroll in PHP Care Complete FIDA-IDD Plan?

To enroll, visit or call NY Medicaid Choice at 1-844-343-2433 (TTY: 1-888-329-1541), Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM, and Saturday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Visit NY Medicaid Choice

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