Photo of senior in wheelchair receiving groceries
Food and transportation

Getting help with meals and rides

What do you most need assistance with? When caregivers are asked that question, food and transportation are often the answers. 

To give you more time and flexibility, ask family and friends for help (or take them up on their offers to help). They could take your loved one to a doctor’s appointment or drop off a meal on their way home from work.

Here are other resources available through BCBSRI health plans and in the community.

Use discounts on meal kits and other services.

With all your other responsibilities, you don’t have a lot of time to cook for yourself and your loved one. Meal kit delivery can make that process easier, as the ingredients and instructions are shipped right to your home. All BCBSRI members can take advantage of special discounts on several meal kit services through Blue365®1. You’ll also find discounts on many other wellness and lifestyle brands.

Have $0 meals delivered after a hospital stay.

For BCBSRI Medicare Advantage members

If your loved one has just had a stay in the hospital or a skilled nursing facility, they can get a week's worth of healthy prepared meals delivered to their door.2

Making it easier

Start meal deliveries by calling (401) 615-7891.

Check the services available through public transportation.

Through the Americans with Disabilities Act, some people can receive door-to-door service. If your loved one is 65+, they may be able to get discounts on public transportation.

Making it easier

If you live in Rhode Island, you can find public transportation for people living with disabilities and transportation discounts for seniors through the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. If you live outside of Rhode Island, find your local public transit.

Reduce trips to the pharmacy by having prescriptions delivered by mail.

You can take another trip to the pharmacy off your to-do list by having prescriptions delivered right to the door. With many BCBSRI plans, your loved one may even save money having them delivered. 

Making it easier

Your loved one can learn more by calling BCBSRI Customer Service.

Schedule video visits with doctors and therapists.

Not all medical visits need to be in person, and your loved ones’ doctors may offer phone or video visits as an option. BCBSRI members have coverage for clinically appropriate video and phone visits from primary care providers, specialists, and therapists.

Making it easier

Many BCBSRI health plans offer Doctors Online,3 which lets you talk with a doctor 24/7 about common health concerns or schedule visits with a therapist or psychiatrist on your phone or computer. Search “BCBSRI Drs. Online" from the App Store or Google Play4 or visit drs-online.com.

1© 2000‐ Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) – All Rights Reserved. The Blue365 program is made available by BCBSRI in conjunction with the BCBSA. The BCBSA is an association of independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. Blue365® offers access to savings on items that members may purchase directly from independent vendors, which are different from items that are covered under the policies with BCBSRI, its contracts with Medicare, or any other applicable federal healthcare program. The products and services described herein are neither offered nor guaranteed under BCBSRI’s contract with the Medicare program. Além disso, não estão sujeitos ao processo de recurso da Medicare. Any disputes regarding these products and services may be subject to BCBSRI’s grievance process. BCBSA may receive payments from Blue365 vendors. Neither BCBSA nor BCBSRI recommends, endorses, warrants, or guarantees any specific vendor, product, or service available under or through the Blue365 Program.

2Get a week's worth of meals delivered to your door up to four times a year when you get home from an inpatient hospital stay or skilled nursing facility (SNF).

3In the case of an emergency, you should always call 911. O Doctors Online não se destina a substituir estes serviços e não deve ser usado nessas circunstâncias. O Doctors Online é um serviço de telemedicina fornecido pela American Well®, uma empresa independente que administra o Doctors Online em nome da BCBSRI.

4Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store é uma marca de serviço da Apple Inc. Google Play é uma marca comercial da Google Inc.