The human knowhow stretches far and beyond all conceivable limits, and yet it doesn’t boast anything more significant than our tendency of growing on a consistent basis. This tendency, in particular, has already got the world to hit upon some huge milestones, with technology appearing as a major member of the stated group. The reason why technology enjoys such an esteemed stature among people is, by and large, predicated upon its skill-set, which ushered us towards a reality that nobody could have ever imagined otherwise. Nevertheless, if we look up close for a second, it will become clear how the whole runner was also very much inspired from the way we applied those skills across a real world environment. The latter component was, in fact, what gave the creation a spectrum-wide presence, and consequentially, kickstarted a tech revolution. Of course, this revolution then went on to scale up the human experience through some outright unique avenues, but even after achieving such a monumental feat, technology will somehow continue to produce the right goods. The same has grown increasingly evident over the recent past, and assuming one new healthcare-themed development shakes out just like we envision, it will only make that trend bigger and better moving forward.
Soda Health, a company best known for its Smart Benefits platform that aims to reduce healthcare inequalities, has officially partnered with Hy-Vee Inc. to launch a new Smart Benefits program, which will allow recipients to receive personalized health and wellness benefits at all of latter’s locations across the eight-state region. Available to participating Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and other public organizations, the stated program makes a point to deliver tailored benefits down to the SKU level, therefore making sure that they are only focusing on products that contribute to a healthier lifestyle. As a result, under the arrangement, participants can expect to receive personalized benefits on fresh produce, over-the-counter pharmacy items, clinical services, nutritional counseling, and more. Not just that, they will also have access to health support, including reminders about health screenings, vaccinations, prescription refills and other information related to medical supplies that they use in the context of their specific health conditions. The whole effort will be conceived using Hy-Vee’s team of registered dietitians and a network of more than 275 retail pharmacies. Talk about what all will these services bring on a more granular note, the food benefits, for instance, stretch across fresh fruits and vegetables, nutritious food items, medically tailored meals, meal plans and more. Here, like we referred to, Hy-Vee will make also its line-up of dietitians available for the purpose of extending recipes, food preparation resources, and personalized food recommendations to help manage patient-specific conditions. Then, we have the prospect of biometric screenings that will bear the responsibility to identify potential risk factors for chronic diseases like heart disease, hypertension or diabetes. If and when an issue is detected, the program will hand you complimentary nutritional programs, programs that are again going to be curated by Hy-Vee’s registered dietitians. Next up, we must get into how, in the case of people who have been identified with some healthcare problem, the program leverages a set of dedicated condition management programs. The idea here is to help individuals in learning the methods through which they can use nutrition and lifestyle changes to navigate through their health conditions. At launch, the available programs cover disciplines like maternal health, diabetes, weight management and hypertension. We covered what the program does after a problem has occurred, but what we still haven’t discussed is how it also equips you with the means to prevent various conditions, doing so using routine vaccinations. The partners have presently indicated the availability of vaccinations for flu, COVID-19, RSV, shingles, pneumococcal and more. Another detail worth a mention in terms of this program is its pledge to facilitate smoking cessation. You see, it brings a comprehensive group course which packs together resources and wider support, thus providing all the necessary help an individual might need in their journey to quit smoking.
“Through this new program, we make managing health easier for our customers,” said Aaron Wiese, president of Hy-Vee. “As a trusted grocer and a health care provider, we are uniquely positioned to reach and engage with individuals in the Midwest and beyond as we help support them in their health journey. Soda Health offers an innovative benefits platform that complements our expertise in food, nutrition and pharmacy, so ultimately, we can help improve a person’s overall health.”
The program in question even has a use case across employer groups where companies can use it to create customized benefit plans that best support their employees. The stated plans can include incentives like gift cards, fuel discounts, exclusive coupons, and more.
As for what makes a supermarket chain like Hy-Vee and ideal partner for such an initiative, the answer stems from its ability to offer quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise, and superior customer service. Hy-Vee’s excellence in what it does can be understood once you consider that it ranks among the Top 5 Most Trusted Brands and has been named one of America’s Top 3 favorite grocery stores.
Moving on to Soda Health, it has its utility rooted in a Smart Benefits technology platform, which connects people to products and services they need and when they need them, thus generating for them an accessible chance to live a healthier life. Outside of that, like it is doing here, Soda Health collaborates with health plans and retailers nationwide to deliver expansive benefits for essentials such as healthy foods, OTC medications, or transportation.
“Hy-Vee is one of the most innovative retailers in the country that has established a reputation for its customer experience and enhanced pharmacy services,” said Robby Knight, CEO and co-founder of Soda Health. “Hy-Vee, participating health plans and Soda Health will offer a whole-health approach and partner to reduce administrative costs, so those funds can be reinvested back in areas that help consumers improve their health outcomes. Together, we are bringing localized, personalized, comprehensive health care to customers who need it most at the locations they visit the most.”
