I have health insurance through Highmark, the insurance company formerly known as Blue Cross or Blue Shield or Blue Man Group or something like that.
On the positive – I get decent health coverage from them, I pay a pretty penny to save a pretty penny, all of that. And they do offer me a $250/year wellness card, which allows me to purchase healthy food at the Honest Weight Co-Op. So essentially that’s $250 of free groceries a year.
That was … until last night. I receiv4ed a “Dear Member” letter from Highmark.
Trust me, if any company starts out their letter with “Dear Member” or “Dear Subscriber” or “Dear Customer” or “Dear whatever your name is,” they’re really not personalizing your experience with them.
Anyways. “Dear Member,” said the letter.
Starting January 1, 2023, your $250 Wellness Card can only be used for gym and fitness centers. To view participating facilities, log into the member portal …
We understand that wellness is about more than just regular visits to the gym, so we also offer discounts on wellness perks through Blue365(TM). From workout gear to personal wellness to healthy meal services, these member-only deals make it affordable to stay healthy all year long. Visit blue365deals.com/blueshieldneny to view current deals.
So …
That $250 credit for healthy foods flies away at the end of the year. And any other use of the wellness card essentially counts as discounts towards other products, as opposed to straight-out purchases.
Well, that sucks eggs.
Oh, and the link they provided in the letter to me? The one I faithfully reproduced in that quote above? It goes to a 404 Error page on their site. Classy, Highmark. Real classy.
After I navigated past the 404 error, I found Highmark’s “deals.” Discounts on meal delivery services and meal prep kits. Discounts on vanity products like teeth whitening gels and hair restoration surgery. And discount rates for trips to Walt Disney World and to Universal Studios Orlando.
Say what??
Well, I guess I know what this means. Between now and December 31st, I’ll use the remaining balance on my current Highmark Wellness Card to shop at Honest Weight and purchase as many staples and shelf-stable stuff as possible. Max out the card, to put it bluntly.
And when the card refills with $250 worth of coupons and discounts that aren’t really deductions so much as enticements to sign up for subscription services …
I’ll just leave the card in my wallet.
Besides, you never know when you need to scrape ice off your car window. I hear a Highmark Wellness Card can actually take 20% of the ice and snow off your windshield.
Pfft.
Chuck The Writer 
Sounds like they figured out too many people were using it to buy food, so they wanted to make sure it could only be used for services few people would actually use it for. That way they don’t have to ‘make good’ on the balances so often, which means higher profits for them. Which is the bottom line for ‘healthcare’ in the USA. If there weren’t so much profit in it maybe your country could join the rest of the civilized world with universal healthcare.
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