What You Should Know:
– Walmart today announced new digital innovations designed to transform the healthcare shopping experience, specifically aiding customers in maximizing their Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits.
– In a first for retail, select customers can now easily identify plan-specific, benefits-eligible products while shopping on Walmart.com and the Walmart app. Alongside this, Walmart is rolling out “Everyday Health Signals,” a new AI-powered digital platform to help customers make healthier food choices.
– These initiatives aim to make it more convenient for customers to utilize their health benefits and empower them with personalized insights for better well-being, launching first with NationsBenefits for Medicare Advantage members.
Streamlining Access to Medicare Advantage Benefits
A significant challenge for Medicare Advantage members has been the underutilization of over-the-counter (OTC) benefits, with about two-thirds of members reportedly never using them, leading to billions of dollars forfeited annually. Walmart is leveraging its tech-powered, omnichannel capabilities to address this issue.
“Customers expect more from their shopping experience, and we continuously adapt to offer the most convenient and intuitive capabilities,” said Ralph Clare, senior vice president, health & wellness merchandising, Walmart U.S.. “We saw an opportunity to streamline the health benefits shopping journey, make it easier for customers to discover eligible items and offer convenient pickup and delivery options that fit their busy schedule. The enhanced shopping experience for health benefits is yet another example of how Walmart is helping customers save money and live better.”
Here’s how the enhanced benefits shopping experience works for eligible Medicare Advantage members:
- Easy Account Integration: Millions of Medicare Advantage members can now add their benefit cards to their online Walmart account at Walmart.com/wallet.
- Clear Product Identification: A “benefits program eligible” badge will appear on a broad assortment of items, including OTC, food, and wellness products, which can be added to the cart with one click. In-store, this badging will appear when scanning items with the Walmart app.
- Simplified Shopping: Customers can filter search results to specifically include benefits-eligible items.
- Real-Time Spending Tracker: A benefits tracker will show customers how much they have left to spend.
- Convenient Fulfillment: Customers can check out with a mixed basket of healthy food, OTC products, and general merchandise for same-day pickup or delivery in as soon as one hour.
Introducing “Everyday Health Signals”: AI for Healthier Eating Choices
Walmart is also leveraging AI to transform how customers approach healthy eating with the rollout of Everyday Health Signals. This new digital platform, initially developed for health plans and benefit managers, uses AI to make it easier for customers to eat healthier.
Customers can opt-in to connect their Walmart.com account and receive AI-driven insights to enhance their well-being. The platform, built by Walmart and powered by a custom-built personalization engine, analyzes a customer’s Walmart.com retail history to deliver practical tips, such as nutrition analysis and shopping lists. This addresses the fact that while half of Americans are trying to eat healthier, a curated experience often leads to better choices.
Walmart is launching this initiative for Medicare Advantage members with NationsBenefits, where eligible members can receive free, personalized guidance aligned with their wellness goals. The platform is slated to expand to more health plans and benefits managers. Importantly, these data-driven insights are generated only when customers elect to participate.
“By allowing customers the opportunity to make more informed choices with Walmart Everyday Health Signals, we’re creating the opportunity for widespread health impact,” said Pravene Nath, MD, group director, consumer health and data solutions, Walmart U.S.. “We’re innovating with tech-enabled health solutions that equip customers with a better understanding of how small decisions in the grocery aisle can help improve their overall health.”
