A look at Anthem's plans, Kroger's new co-branded Medicare plans

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield will partner with Kroger to launch co-branded Medicare Advantage plans aimed at meeting members' social needs.

Eligible members of these plans will receive stipends to purchase healthy food as well as health and wellness items at Kroger stores. Healthy Grocery Cards will offer up to $100 per month for food, and members will receive a quarterly allowance to purchase healthy, over-the-counter items.

In addition, Kroger's 2,200 pharmacies are now in Anthem's network of choice, which should further help reduce in-person costs, the insurance company said.

These plans will be available in select counties in four states for 2022: Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia and Virginia. Although these markets are "just the beginning" of the program, Elena McFan, president of Medicare at Anthem, told Fierce Healthcare.

She said Kroger operates nearly 300 stores in these areas.

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“What we have consistently heard from our sector is the need for brands to unite in a reliable way to improve their health,” McFan said. "It's really about having that kind of community center together."

In addition, eligible members will have access to the Healthy Pantry feature, which provides up to 12 monthly sessions with nutritionists at Kroger Health, the company's healthcare arm. In these sessions, members can learn more about how to manage their nutrition.

The feature also includes monthly delivery of essential nutrients to support healthy eating, according to Anthem.

Nasheed said plans are available as part of the current open enrollment period, which began on October 15 and ends on December 7.

“By partnering with Anthem, we can provide seniors in our communities with access to affordable, high-quality healthcare services. Through improved nutrition and OTC benefits, we can also provide Preventive care using food as medicine.

McFan said food insecurity has worsened dramatically for seniors amid COVID-19, and that the insurance company decided that addressing the exit from the pandemic is a critical issue. In addition to Kroger's plans, Anthem now offers a Healthy Food Card as an option members can choose from the Essential Extras, a list of supplemental MA benefits.

She said having healthy food can be critical to managing or preventing disease.

"We are really closing the gap to help and address food insecurity especially with some of the most vulnerable populations in the country," McFan said.