US- Instacart has launched a health-focused business venture, Instacart Health which aims to address three key issues: nutrition security, food as medicine, and making healthy options easier to access.
The announcement is related to the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, where President Joe Biden will present strategies for lowering diet-related illnesses in the US and eradicating hunger by 2030.
Instacart Health aims to “turbocharge” the company’s product innovations, new partnerships, research, and policy advocacy in the health space, a company spokesperson wrote in an email.
The grocer is introducing several features and tools as part of the campaign, including shoppable carts from health authorities and influencers, extended health tags like low-sodium, and a larger “healthy shoppable recipe library.”
Additionally, Fresh Funds and Care Carts, which let healthcare professionals and caregivers order groceries on behalf of patients, were unveiled.
Fresh Funds enables organizations to give people money to purchase wholesome foods on Instacart.
“Today, we estimate that a large majority of the nearly 34 million people experiencing nutrition insecurity in the U.S. have access to delivery via Instacart, and we want to continue making it affordable to everyone,” CEO Fidji Simo noted.
As part of its nutrition security pillar, Instacart plans to “significantly expand” affordable payment options via EBT SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
“We now have the ability to integrate with retailers so that consumers can easily scan a product or its corresponding electronic shelf tag using new technology, and find out if it’s eligible for SNAP benefits, saving people time as they shop,” Simo added.
A Good Measures registered dietitian will work with participants to personalize a nutrition plan for them and will have access to Instacart’s Care Carts to deliver the groceries in the plan directly to the client
Instacart is also working to help modernize Medicaid benefits. “In the coming weeks, WellCare of Kentucky will begin offering its Medicaid members who have been screened for high blood pressure the option to participate in Good Measures’ Good Food Prescription program,” Simo said.
“A Good Measures registered dietitian will work with participants to personalize a nutrition plan for them and will have access to Instacart’s Care Carts to deliver the groceries in the plan directly to the client.”
Instacart also announced its Instacart Health Policy Agenda and its top three policy priorities: Modernize food assistance programs to increase equitable access to nutritious food.
Other priorities are Increasing the availability of affordable, nutritious food in underserved urban and rural areas and providing equitable access to health-tailored groceries and food prescription programs.
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