Dive Brief:

• Instacart, in partnership with Mount Sinai Solutions, announced Wednesday it will provide Instacart Health Fresh Funds grocery stipends to select post-operative and post-partum patients insured by a health plan sponsored by a Mount Sinai Solutions employer or union customer. 
• The company also announced earlier this week the launch of two new programs through Instacart Health aimed at supporting seniors. 
• These initiatives come as Instacart continues to expand its service offerings and more closely tie its business to consumer health programs.

Dive Insight:

Patients within the Mount Sinai Solutions network are eligible to receive $110 in Fresh Funds for “the episode of care” to cover grocery delivery, pantry staples and household and baby essentials, per the announcement. These shoppers can also access a tailored storefront with provider-recommended products from local, regional and national retailers on Instacart. 

Customers who received specialized care or underwent surgery at a Mount Sinai facility in New York City — or with an extended partner in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania — can utilize the Instacart benefits, the company noted.

On Tuesday, Instacart Health announced two new agreements designed to support senior citizens. Next year, Alignment Health will offer Medicare Advantage plans that include Instacart grocery benefits to make nutritious food more accessible to chronically ill seniors, according to a company blog post. The new tie-up with InComm Payments lets participating members of Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and other eligible programs use plan-sponsored funds to buy qualifying groceries, wellness essentials and over-the-counter medications for delivery via Instacart. 

Instacart noted that seniors can now choose from numerous payment types on their e-commerce platform, including health benefits and SNAP, which Instacart extended online payment access to across all 50 states earlier this year. Instacart also has a Senior Support Service, staffed with team members to help set up Instacart accounts and place orders for customers ages 60 and over who need additional assistance.

These new initiatives and partnerships further Instacart’s efforts to improve healthy food accessibility across its platform. In September 2022, Instacart unveiled its Instacart Health business initiative to focus on nutrition security, food as medicine and making healthy options easier to access. 

Earlier this year, the company partnered with nonprofit Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) to launch a new nutrition security program for families in need. Similar to its work with Mount Sinai Solutions, the PHA partnership provided Instacart Health Fresh Funds stipends. That partnership also provided participants with a complimentary Instacart+ membership for four months.