is UHC CareCash really a free $500?

My health insurer is UHC, and recently sent me a mailing to encourage me to get a "Care Cash" card. I did some research, and see this is program they expanded as of 1Jan24 to a set of "small group states", including Colorado (my state).

The card purports to be a debit card with $500 on it, that can be used for "UnitedHealth Premium Care Providers", urgent care, and virtual visits.

The Care Cash webpage says "Care Cash® is designed to inform you about quality care options that may be lower cost and help pay toward certain eligible network expenses like copays or a deductible. We heard from our members that out-of-pocket costs can deter when and where they get care, and we want to make this easier and more affordable. So, we created Care Cash, our way of providing you with money upfront to help cover the costs of certain medical expenses with our network providers, facilities and physicians."

OK, so the idea is to get you to use certain providers rather than others. But I'm pretty surprised they get so much benefit from that they would just give me $500 in money for co-pays, etc. What am I missing?

submitted by /u/daviddlewis2
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