Instacart launched a new partnership with Mount Sinai Solutions on Wednesday that provides post-operative and post-partum patients with grocery stipends. In addition, Instacart announced Tuesday that in 2024, it is offering co-branded Medicare Advantage plans with Alignment Healthcare that offer food as medicine programs to seniors.
San Francisco-based Instacart is a grocery technology company. With Instacart Health, the company is rolling out solutions to improve food insecurity. Mount Sinai Solutions is part of Mount Sinai Health System and serves employers and unions. Through the new partnership, the companies will offer a $110 grocery stipend to patients of Mount Sinai Solutions’ employer and union customers after they leave a health facility for events like a joint replacement, birth or bariatric surgery. This partnership is available for patients who receive care at Mount Sinai facilities in New York City and extended partners in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
These funds can be used for fresh groceries, pantry items and household essentials. In addition, they’ll gain access to a Mount Sinai Virtual Storefront, where they can shop for provider-recommended foods from local, regional and national retailers through Instacart.
“The program gives patients covered by Mount Sinai Solution’s network the additional access, education and support they need through their recovery,” said Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president and general manager of Instacart Health, in an email.
As well as partnering with Mount Sinai Solutions, Instacart is working with Alignment Healthcare to launch co-branded Medicare Advantage plans starting January 1, 2024, in California’s Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties. In addition, the Alignment Health Platinum + Instacart HMO plan will be offered to eligible Nevadans in Carson City and Clark, Douglas, Nye, Storey and Washoe counties. The plans are pending regulatory approval, however.
Members of these plans with a qualifying chronic condition will have access to $50-$100 quarterly grocery allowances from Instacart. They’ll also get an Instacart+ membership (which includes free delivery on orders over $35) and a customer support line to help members with their Instacart account. Like Mount Sinai Solutions’ patients, the plans will have an Alignment Health Virtual Storefront to shop items recommended by Alignment.
“By providing members with a curated Alignment Health Virtual Storefront on Instacart, they can easily shop from recommended items, add them to their cart and checkout using their health benefit card as payment,” Mastrorocco said.
The announcement of these plans comes after Alignment released a report that showed food insecurity and lack of transportation access are among the top social barriers affecting senior health.
Instacart declined to say the business model of the arrangements with Mount Sinai Solutions and Alignment Healthcare. Mastrorocco said the company aims to “use the power of Instacart’s platform, products and partnerships to empower healthy living. Working alongside health professionals, hospitals, businesses, nonprofits, researchers, and policymakers, we aim to champion nutrition access, resources, and education.”
Photo: vgajic, Getty Images
