9amHealth partners with Instacart to promote healthy eating

Fresh Funds stipends for nutritious food will be integrated into 9amHealth’s programs

In 2022, grocery delivery company Instacart debuted Instacart Health, an initiative to promote nutrition and food access. Among its programs was Instacart Health Fresh Funds, a program which allowed organizations to provide funds for people to buy nutritious food from grocery retailers on the Instacart App. 

Since thenm, the company has entered into a number of partnerships to help promote nutrition and food access, including Wellness West, Partnership for a Healthier America, the Biden administration, and Dispatch Health.  

Its latest partnership, announced on Thursday, is with 9amHealth, a virtual cardiometabolic healthcare service, in which Fresh Funds stipends for nutritious food will be integrated into 9amHealth’s diabetes, weight, and heart health programs.

"9amHealth has partnered with Instacart to emphasize the value of food as medicine, recognizing that accessible, nutritious meal options are essential for managing chronic conditions. By offering food delivery as an incentive, the partnership aims to motivate individuals to begin their health journey with convenient, healthier choices tailored to their specific dietary needs," Paul Geevarghese, COO and co-founder of 9amHealth, told VatorNews.

"Together, 9amHealth and Instacart share a commitment to the "food as medicine" philosophy, empowering individuals to improve their health through accessible, nutritious food choices tailored to their wellness needs."

Founded in 2021 by the team behind mySugr, 9amHealth offers cardiometabolic care to treat and prevent diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and hypertension.

The company works with employers to provide effective health benefits for members including care plans, prescription delivery, at-home lab tests and access to specialists. As part of 9amHealth's care plans, members can access a team of specialists, including dietitians, who curate meal plans and provide education based on each member’s health conditions.

9amHealth recently added a new feature to its member app, powered by RxDiet, allowing members to create curated meal plans tailored to their individual health needs, budget, and dietary preferences.

In this new partnership with Instacart, after members sign up for 9amHealth through their employers, they will get an email with a link to the 9amHealth Fresh Funds website where they can use their incentive to purchase food in certain categories. Each member receives a personalized care plan that includes nutrition guidance and access to a dietitian who can create meal plans tailored to their health needs. 

Members then use a digital Fresh Funds stipend, funded by employers and health plans, to purchase their prescribed foods from local grocers on Instacart. 

"Offering an incentive to choose healthy foods encourages individuals to make positive, sustainable lifestyle changes, jumpstarting their health journey with practical, rewarding steps toward better nutrition and well-being," said Geevarghese.

The two companies began their partnership in February of this year and, while the number of 9amHealth members who have it so far isn't being disclosed, it was revealed that, since the Instacart partnership launched, 9amHealth has seen a 161% increase in enrollment and a 57% rise in overall member engagement (measured by chat messages and video calls with the Care Team) compared to programs not utilizing Instacart Health Fresh Funds.

"Success in this partnership would be measured by increased engagement and improved health outcomes as more individuals are empowered to make nutritious food choices that support their overall wellness and chronic disease management," said Geevarghese.

Other Instacart Health programs include Care Carts, which are designed to give healthcare providers and caregivers the ability to order groceries on behalf of someone else, and Health Tags, which let customers view up to 23 item-level labels, including low-salt, low-sugar, keto, gluten-free, while they shop on Instacart, as part of Instacart Health.