The Helper Bees has introduced a flexible benefit card called helpful, which grants access to over-the-counter (OTC) products, groceries and a nationwide network of vetted Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) providers through a unified card experience.
Helper Bees, based in Austin, Texas, is the developer of an aging-in-place platform that connects families with services in and around their homes. The company’s technology provides the infrastructure for payers to access, deploy and scale services. It has partnerships with most insurance carriers and health plans nationwide.
The helpful card works like a prepaid debit card. Payers can load money onto the card for eligible products and services. The card has distinct digital wallets for different purposes, such as buying OTC products, paying for in-home services, making retail purchases, covering health care costs, paying for utilities and covering gym memberships. This ensures that members have a smooth and complete experience.
“Historically, flex cards have been good for products, not services,” The Helper Bees COO Andy Friedell told Home Health Care News. “That is because services typically must be delivered through a credentialed network. Because of Helper Bees, our whole business model is built around a credentialed network of non-medical SDoH service providers. We are in this unique position where we can offer a card with both a retail network and a credentialed network of non-medical SDoH service providers.”
Friedell provided an example of a member who might use a flex card to purchase a grab bar for their bathroom. However, if they are a senior citizen and have it mailed to them, it is useless unless they have someone to install it.
“In our world, you can now, with the helpful card, buy a grab bar and have a credentialed, vetted handy person install it in your bathroom,” Friedell said. “You can access a grocery benefit and also get a ride to the store. It’s really a way to mix and match products and services.”
helpful stands out from traditional flexible spending cards due to its unique ability to provide members with convenience and choice through a single multi-functional card, Friedell said. It grants access to over 60,000 retail locations, including major pharmacy and grocery chains, and covers out-of-pocket healthcare expenses related to dental, vision and hearing. Furthermore, helpful connects members to The Helper Bees’ nationwide network of over 20,000 vetted home care providers.
The Helper Bees has selected Boston-based Lynx as its card provider. In addition to the flex card, the partnership offers an integrated e-commerce experience, providing a wide range of products and services on a single platform.
Lynx’s platform connects to an application programming interface (API) for health care payments, banking and e-commerce. It allows companies to integrate customizable financial technology solutions for improved affordability, increased health engagement and enhanced financial security.
“Partnering with The Helper Bees to introduce the helpful card is a testament to our commitment to modernizing the supplemental benefits space and simplifying the member experience,” Lynx CEO Matthew Renfro said in a statement. “With these benefits and services becoming increasingly important in Medicare Advantage, this collaboration ensures more seamless and efficient access.”
The card’s flexibility allows for effective fund allocation, maximizing utilization without extra costs. Members can access various options, while payers can customize choices to meet specific plan requirements and budget constraints.
helpful is accessible to all of The Helper Bees’ payer partnerships, including Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid-managed care organizations, long-term care insurance carriers and other partners.
“The growth in these supplemental benefits has come based on the belief that non-medical services help keep members healthier and independent at home,” Friedell said. “But when they are disjointed with different vendors and different payment models, they begin to lose their value. By pulling them together into one unified experience, a plan [such as Medicare Advantage] can start to look at leveraging the dollars they’re spending on these SDoH non-medical services to affect health care and keep people healthier and independent at home longer.”
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