9amHealth, Instacart partner to help employers expand access to healthy foods
9amHealth, a virtual cardiometabolic care solution, and Instacart are joining forces in a partnership that integrates Instacart Health Fresh Funds stipends for nutritious food into 9amHealth's diabetes, weight and heart health programs. The partnership aims to address the root causes of health problems like diabetes and obesity by expanding access to nutritious foods using Instacart's platform.
Incentivizing healthy eating with actionable dietary guidance and convenient food delivery supports a preventive approach and can reduce the need for more costly treatments like the increasingly popular GLP-1 drugs. Additionally, actionable dietary guidance and convenient food delivery support lasting behavior changes, improving health outcomes and reducing overall care costs, the companies said.
"Nutrition is a critical part of our whole health approach to care. Many widely available processed foods can be high in sugar, salt and fat, making it challenging to identify the best foods to live a healthy life," said Paul Geevarghese, chief operating officer and co-founder of 9amHealth. "Providing our members access to weight loss medications when appropriate, including generic options and GLP-1s, should not be the only tool. Medications, nutritious foods and dietary guidance are fundamental to our care approach. Our partnership with Instacart offers convenient access to nutritious food, supporting each person's unique health journey through adopting healthy habits."
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As part of 9amHealth's care plans, members can access a team of specialists, including dietitians, who curate meal plans and provide education based on each member's health conditions. Members then use a digital Fresh Funds stipend, funded by employers and health plans, to purchase their prescribed foods from local grocers on Instacart.
Since the Instacart partnership launched, 9amHealth has seen a 161% increase in enrollment and a 57% rise in overall member engagement (measured by chat messages and video calls with the Care Team) compared to programs not utilizing Instacart Health Fresh Funds.
Eating nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, whole grains, nuts and Omega-3-rich fats is a key part of staying healthy and living longer. Yet, only 9% of American adults meet daily vegetable intake recommendations, and just 12% meet fruit intake guidelines, the companies noted.
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A general review of studies has shown that food-based health programs that include groceries drive higher adoption and adherence rates and can improve health outcomes, with studies showing that healthier diets help prevent and manage cardiometabolic conditions. Unhealthy diets contribute nearly 20% of U.S. healthcare costs from heart disease, stroke and diabetes, costing $50 billion annually. According to this cost analysis, adopting healthy diets and long-term behavioral changes can help significantly reduce these costs.
"Nutrition is fundamental to health, and through Instacart, we're providing people with easy, affordable access to nutritious foods," said Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president and general manager of health at Instacart. "We commend 9amHealth for recognizing the powerful role of nutritious food and convenient delivery in engaging members and encouraging the adoption of lasting dietary and behavioral changes that support overall health, whether as part of a lifestyle shift or to complement medications like GLP-1s."