InComm Payments, a leading global payments technology company, today announced it has partnered with Visa to launch a first-of-its-kind innovative healthcare benefits solution.
The Dual Network Benefit Card combines the closed-loop, UPC-restricted-spend OTC Network® and open-loop Visa network in a single card, which will enable health plans to further simplify their supplemental benefits and incentives offerings.
This hybrid solution allows health plans to deliver benefits such as dental, vision, hearing and other programs across a wide variety of providers through the Visa network while continuing to offer curated catalogs and directed benefits – such as over-the-counter (OTC) medications, supplemental benefits and healthy foods – through merchants in the UPC-restricted-spend OTC Network. Both options will restrict spending to approved items or providers, ensuring plan-provided dollars are spent on members’ health care needs. The wholly configurable nature of the solution allows plans to tailor their benefits and incentives programs in order to meet members’ needs and own the member experience across brick-and-mortar retail, online and mail order channels.
For health plans, the program offers easy-to-navigate, consolidated benefits administration, eliminating the need to provide separate cards for different benefits and incentive programs. The ability to restrict benefits at the UPC level via OTC Network retail partners ensures supplemental incentive dollars are spent on qualifying products. The Visa network allows for spending at specific medical merchant categories, expanding the available provider network while also restricting spending to approved care. This eliminates both the need to manage dental, vision and other additional provider networks and complicated reimbursement processes by simply adding funds to the card and allowing the member to choose their provider.
“This is a game-changer in how healthcare benefits will be managed, giving health plans greater flexibility when it comes to allocating their benefits – ensuring members get them when and where it matters most,” said Brian Parlotto, Executive Vice President at InComm Payments. “We’re excited to continue innovating in this space by simplifying the healthcare benefits process for members and plans.”
“This is a great opportunity for health plans to increase member satisfaction by consolidating many functionalities in one benefit card,” said Darren Parslow, Global Head, Processing and Partner Solutions at Visa. “The reach of the Visa network benefits both healthcare providers, who can attract new customers, and also health plan members, who can direct their benefits to the services they need.”
InComm Healthcare currently serves millions of health plan members through its OTC Network Product Suite, which features supplemental benefit and wellness incentive cards that effectively attract, engage and retain health plan members while driving them to adopt healthier behaviors. With a range of product catalogs to choose from, plans can customize their benefits and rewards to their specific consumer base, and its multi-wallet program allows plans to deliver and manage multiple member benefits through a single card.