Grocery delivery company Instacart is launching a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan next year with Alignment Healthcare in 13 counties across California and Nevada.
Pending regulatory approvals, 3.9 million Medicare-eligible individuals will have access to the new plans, which will feature $50 to $100 quarterly grocery allowances through Instacart, a complimentary Instacart+ membership with free delivery on qualifying orders, technical support for setting up an account and placing orders, and Alignment Health's new "virtual storefront" on Instacart where members can shop for recommended products.
The innovative partnership has been in the works "for some time," Dawn Maroney, president of markets at Alignment and CEO of Alignment Health Plan, told Becker's.
"We think food is the other medicine that is absolutely needed," she said. "We're always pushing for access to drugs and access to the right nutrition."
In California, three co-branded MA plans will be offered for coverage starting Jan. 1 in Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties. In Nevada, the plan will be available in Carson City and Clark, Douglas, Nye, Storey and Washoe counties.
Alignment operates across four additional states, and Ms. Maroney added she would love to have the new Instacart plans expanded to all markets in the future.
The new MA plans are part of Instacart's recent push into healthcare, with initiatives launched last year that allow providers to order food and medical supplies for patients through the platform, along with prescription food delivery services for Medicaid managed care plans.
In recent months, other grocery companies have also launched co-branded Medicare Advantage plans. Intermountain's Select Health and Kroger Health are launching MA plans across four states, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Meijer will offer their own MA plan next year as well.