Although human beings have a lot that one can praise, nothing deserves those plaudits than our ability to grow on a consistent basis. This progressive approach, on our part, 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.
Instacart, a San Francisco-based grocery delivery giant, has officially partnered with Mount Sinai Solutions, a division of Mount Sinai Health System serving employers and unions, to help post-operative and post-partum patients access Instacart grocery stipends. Available to patients insured by health plan sponsored by a Mount Sinai Solutions employer or union customer, the stated move is expected to alleviate challenges that we usually see in accessing fresh groceries, pantry staples, and household essentials, following a major life event like a joint replacement, birth, or bariatric surgery. Talk about the collaboration on a more granular level, though, it will offer patients within the touted network a sum of $110 in Fresh Funds to pay for delivery of fresh groceries and other related stuff. Notably enough, this benefit is, at the moment, only available to customers who have received their treatment at Mount Sinai facilities in New York City. That being said, both the companies are already planning to enter other US cities, including Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Hold on, patients who qualify under the established terms will also be given the uninterrupted access of a Mount Sinai Virtual Storefront, where they can shop for provider-recommended foods from local, regional, and national retailers using Instacart’s platform. Complimenting this whole value proposition are certain specialized Instacart Health tools that will be there to support each patient’s recovery through actionable recommendations from Mount Sinai experts.
“Our powerful platform offers patients the dignity of choice to use their health benefits to purchase groceries that meet their unique tastes, needs and budgets. We’re proud to announce our new partnership with Mount Sinai Solutions to expand patient access to the day-to-day essentials they need on their road to recovery,” said Sarah Mastrorocco, Vice President and General Manager of Instacart Health.
The development follows up well on another one of Instacart’s healthcare effort, an effort which covers the company’s collaboration with Alignment Healthcare to launch co-branded Medicare Advantage plans starting January 1, 2024. These plans will be available across California’s Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Stanislaus counties. Beyond that, Alignment Health Platinum + Instacart HMO plan will be offered to eligible Nevada residents in Carson City and Clark, Douglas, Nye, Storey, and Washoe counties. Here, members of these plans with a qualifying chronic condition will have access to $50-$100 quarterly grocery allowances from Instacart. Similar to Instacart-Mount Sinai partnership, one can access an Alignment Health Virtual Storefront to shop items recommended by Alignment, and alongside that, they’ll also get an Instacart+ membership which offers free delivery on orders above $35.
“Instacart has transformed grocery shopping, giving families nationwide access to a broad selection of retailers and quick and convenient delivery. Today, we reach more than 95% of U.S. households, including 93% of U.S. food desert residents, and through Instacart Health, we’re using our reach and technology to create impactful access programs with leading providers and health plans that help solve real patient challenges,” said Mastrorocco.
Fair enough, Instacart today partners with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery, and pickup services from more than 80,000 stores across North America. In its pursuit to be the best, the company also became the first grocery marketplace to offer online SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Acceptance Program) acceptance in all 50 states across the US.
As for Mount Sinai Solutions, it is in ideal partner because of its reach, as it comes from a system which is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, boasting more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, over 400 outpatient practices, and nearly 300 labs. Furthermore, the organization’s ecosystem also features a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Currently, Mount Sinai Solutions is alone serving over 400,000 lives.
“Mount Sinai Solutions and our Centers of Excellence are designed to be hyper-focused on a patient’s end-to-end care journey to improve outcomes while driving down costs associated with re-admittance or ER visits,” said Lauren Lisher, Senior Vice President of Specialty Care and Partnerships at Mount Sinai Solutions. “We are pleased to partner with Instacart to offer a robust grocery delivery solution that provides nourishing foods and essentials needed for a smooth recovery after hospital discharge.”
