Instacart Rolls Out Initiatives With Expectant Moms, People With Diabetes
Through its Instacart Health initiative, Instacart has entered into partnerships with Molina Healthcare of Michigan and The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation (DRIF) to help positively influence the health of pregnant women and people with diabetes, respectively.
The program with Molina, a provider of government-funded health care through Medicaid, Medicare and Marketplace programs, will provide 600 pregnant plan members with Instacart+ memberships and Instacart Health Fresh Funds grocery stipends to boost healthy food access to reduce birth outcome disparities like low birth weight. Under the program, expectant mothers facing food insecurity will receive 18 months of Instacart+, providing them access to online grocery shopping and free delivery from grocers on the platform.
“Our Instacart partnership is an important investment in Molina members, as we believe all children deserve a healthy start to life, and that begins with a healthy mom,” said Terrisca Des Jardins, plan president for Troy-based Molina Healthcare of Michigan. “Reducing disparities in health outcomes is a top priority, and this offering, combined with healthy menus and recipes informed by Molina’s registered dietitians, fosters good eating habits that benefit both mother and child.”
“Through our partnership with Molina, we’re making healthy eating more accessible, affordable and convenient for expectant moms facing food insecurity,” added Sarah Mastrorocco, VP and general manager of Instacart Health at San Francisco-based Instacart. “Instacart provides families with access to same-day delivery of fresh groceries from trusted local retailers and offers tools that make expert nutrition guidance from health leaders like Molina easy to follow and shop from. We’re proud to support this initiative, using technology to help moms adopt healthier habits that benefit both their own well-being and the health and development of their babies.”
Along with the Instacart+ membership, selected members will also receive monthly $100 Fresh Funds stipends for the first nine months of the program to use on healthy foods from retailers on Instacart. Members can combine their Fresh Funds, SNAP benefits and personal funds at checkout when buying groceries online.
This past July, Northwell Health, New York’s largest health system, and Instacart Health teamed up to expand access to nutritious foods, encourage sustainable healthy choices, and scale food-as-medicine programs to reach various Northwell communities, including expectant mothers.
Meanwhile, the partnership with the DRIF, a Hollywood, Fla.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and rapidly applying the most promising research to treat and cure people living with diabetes, aims to improve nutrition security, make healthy choices easier for consumers and expand the role that food can play in improving health outcomes. As part of the partnership, the DRIF has launched a custom Virtual Storefront focused on metabolically healthy food selected specifically for people managing or caring for loved ones with diabetes.
“Not only are we committed to finding a cure for diabetes by researching cure-focused therapies and conducting clinical trials, but we also have an extended education team that is dedicated to serving the diabetes community by providing valuable resources,” noted Maddison Saalinger, a registered and licensed dietitian and diabetes educator at the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “We believe strongly that nutrition management along with lifestyle is the cornerstone that gives people with diabetes the power to lead their healthiest life possible. Through our partnership with Instacart Health, we aim to help people with diabetes navigate dietary restrictions, save time grocery shopping, adopt healthier habits and encourage better nutrition.”
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Through the partnership, people with diabetes and their caregivers and family members will be able to shop for and order appropriate food from local grocers and have it conveniently delivered to their homes via Instacart.
“Nutrition is essential to health and wellness, and Instacart connects more than 98% of U.S. households with fresh and nutritious groceries from trusted retailers,” noted Mastrorocco. “With Instacart Health, we’re making expert nutrition advice shoppable, and through our partnership with the DRIF, we’re offering a convenient tool that helps people managing diabetes find nutritionist-recommended foods that support their health goals. This new Virtual Storefront empowers those living with diabetes to make informed, health-conscious food choices from home, making healthy choices easier and more accessible.”
The Instacart Health initiative aims to improve nutrition security, make healthy choices easier, and scale food-as-medicine programs to support public health. Instacart partners with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from 85,000-plus stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Maplebear Inc. is the registered corporate name of Instacart.
