Grocers with Medicare Advantage plans: 6 updates

From Walmart and UnitedHealth Group to Instacart and Alignment Healthcare, these are six grocery companies that have launched co-branded Medicare Advantage plans with payers in the last two years:

1. Grocery delivery company Instacart is launching a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan in 2024 with Alignment Healthcare in 13 counties across California and Nevada. Benefits of the new offering include $50 to $100 quarterly grocery allowances through Instacart and a complimentary Instacart+ membership with free delivery on qualifying orders.
   
   
2. Meijer and BCBS Michigan will offer a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan in 2024. The plans will include a $660 annual allowance for members to spend on health and wellness items in Meijer stores, depending on eligibility.
   
   
3. Select Health, part of Intermountain Health, and Kroger Health are launching co-branded Medicare Advantage plans in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Utah in 2024. The new plans will be offered in select counties and will increase access to services through Kroger's grocery and pharmacy offerings.
   
   
4. UnitedHealth Group and Walmart partnered on a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan for 2023. The 10-year collaboration began at 15 Walmart Health centers in Florida and Georgia, which are enabled by Optum's analytics and decision support tools. At the time, UnitedHealth said the collaboration aims to eventually serve more members with access to fresh food, over-the-counter and prescription medications, and dental and vision services.
   
   
5. Priority Health and Kroger Health launched two co-branded Medicare Advantage plans in eight Michigan counties in 2023. The plans offer allowances to purchase nutritious food and health and wellness items at Kroger stores. They also include a free membership for Kroger's loyalty program, Boost, which includes fuel points, digital coupons, online grocery ordering and next-day grocery delivery.
   
   
6. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, owned by Elevance Health, partnered with Kroger Health in 2022 on Medicare Advantage plans that provide members with in-store benefits at Kroger locations. The partnership reaches four regions: the Cincinnati area, the Louisville, Ky. area, the Atlanta area and southern Virginia. Plans include a quarterly over-the-counter product allowance and access to 12 monthly meetings with a Kroger Health dietician.