Kroger Piloting Primary Care for Seniors at 8 Little Clinics
Kroger Health is teaming up with value-based provider network Better Health Group to make eight of its Atlanta-area Little Clinics available for senior-focused primary care. Those Little Clinics will continue to offer regular services.
Jim Kirby, chief commercial officer for Kroger Health, told Fierce Healthcare that the eight clinics currently provide a full range of services focused on acute, convenient care, and about 60% of patients who come into those clinics don't have an assigned or designated primary care provider. “So, there's a huge opportunity just in general to serve patients and provide longitudinal care,” Kirby said
Continued Kirby: "These particular clinics, most of the eight, are in medically underserved areas. We thought that there was also a particular community-based need to serve these patients.”
Kirby explained that the new pilot program offers comprehensive primary care, focusing on prevention and some of the unique needs of seniors. Providers will help form a care plan and follow up with patients proactively to make sure they're getting the care, recommended preventive screenings and services they need most.
Better Health Group will manage all aspects of the primary healthcare needs of seniors with Medicare moving forward, including those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.
Earlier this month, Kroger tapped startup Soda Health Inc. to help launch a Smart Benefits program. The program allows participating Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and employer benefits program recipients to receive certain pharmacy, nutrition services and other eligible benefits at Kroger pharmacies, in addition to purchasing eligible food and over-the-counter health items.
Co-founded by former Walmart executive Robby Knight, Soda Health is a health care technology company that works to change the way benefit dollars are used to improve an individual's health and reduce health inequities. The new Smart Benefits program combines Kroger Health's services with Soda Health's &more platform.
Cincinnati-based Kroger operates 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names. Kroger Health and the Kroger family of pharmacies and clinics operate more than 2,200 pharmacies and more than 220 clinics in 35 states, serving more than 17 million customers annually. The company is No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named Kroger one of the Retailers of the Century.
