Supplemental benefits are a critical tool for insurers to stand out in a crowded market — particularly Medicare Advantage — and a new partnership aims to make it simpler for plans to integrate a grocery delivery offering into their packages.
NationsBenefits is a benefits administrator that provides plans with a flex card benefit option that they can tailor to their unique member populations. It's teaming up with Instacart to integrate grocery delivery into that program, making it available to MA, Medicaid and commercial plans across the country.
Eligible members will be able to use the funds added to their flex cards to order healthy food and pantry goods for home delivery from 85,000 retailers, according to the announcement provided first to Fierce Healthcare. Credits for grocery delivery are accessed through NationsBenefits' portal, and the company then has a dedicated Instacart storefront for its members to use.
Michael Parker, chief operating officer of NationsBenefits, told Fierce Healthcare that the company began as a benefits administrator for hearing coverage, and grew over time to encompass a far wider array of supplemental options as demand increased.
Parker said that partnering with Instacart can enable people living in more remote areas, or those who lack transportation options, to still utilize their benefits and maintain a healthy diet.
"By allowing these dollars to be used on the Instacart platform, you're really allowing members and health plans to provide the biggest impact with the benefits," Parker said.
Instacart, meanwhile, has been making a significant push into healthcare through the food-as-medicine movement, which aims to address chronic needs and food insecurity. The tech company has secured partnerships with a number of payers and other healthcare organizations, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
To make it easier for people to use its services, Instacart announced late last year that it would accept payments from health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts, which many people find difficult to take advantage of.
Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president and general manager of Instacart Health, told Fierce Healthcare that the company hears from insurers, particularly those in MA, that they have the flex cards established and the funds there, they just want to make it simple for members to take advantage of those stipends.
Instacart also comes to the partnership with a history of providing positive consumer experience, which is critical in this space, she said.
"We think part of what we're doing is to leverage the money that's there, rather than asking for more money or trying to find the money in an already cash-strapped environment," she said.