Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Kroger Health Offer Plans that Include Allowance to Help Consumers Purchase Groceries and Popular Health Items

New 2022 Medicare Advantage plans created by companies will address drivers of health, including food as medicine

NORFOLK, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Employing their complementary experiences in helping individuals lead healthier lives, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia and Kroger Health, the healthcare division of the Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), will offer new 2022 Medicare Advantage plans with benefits and services to address an individual’s whole-health needs and wellbeing. Eligible members enrolled in one of these plans will have benefit allowances that can be used at Kroger Family Stores to buy nutritious food as well as health and wellness items.

Anthem and Kroger Health share the goals of improving access to cost-effective healthcare services, driving health outcomes improvement, and simplifying the healthcare experience,” said Raul Smith, President of Anthem’s Medicare North/East Region. “Anthem brings decades of experience working with consumers, clinicians, health systems, and other stakeholders to ensure health plans members have access to the care and services they need.”

Eligible members in one of these new Medicare Advantage plans, called Anthem MediBlue + Kroger (HMO) and Anthem MediBlue + Kroger Access (PPO), will be given a Healthy Groceries Card, which will be loaded with $75 per month. They will be able to use the card to purchase healthy groceries at Kroger, reducing their monthly out-of-pocket costs and helping them achieve a balanced and nutritious diet.

These eligible members will also be given a quarterly allowance to spend on over the counter (OTC), health items at Kroger. This benefit will help members reduce their out-of-pocket healthcare costs because they will be able to use their OTC allowance on everyday health-related items, like first aid supplies, support braces, and pain relievers, instead of paying for the items with their own funds.

In addition, Kroger Health’s 2,200 pharmacies are in Anthem’s preferred network, which will also help reduce out-of-pocket costs for members compared to using pharmacies outside of their network.

“By partnering with Anthem, we are able to offer seniors in our communities access to affordable high quality healthcare services. And through the enhanced nutrition and OTC benefit, we can also provide preventive care using food as medicine,” said Jim Kirby, senior director of business development for Kroger Health. “Food and nutrition education are critical components of not only treating disease but preventing it before it starts.”

Eligible members will also have access to the plan’s Healthy Pantry benefit. With this benefit, members will have access to up to 12 monthly sessions with a Kroger Health dietitian who can provide nutritional education support. These members will also receive a monthly delivery of pantry staples from the grocer to help them make dietary changes.

Individuals who are interested in enrolling in a 2022 Medicare Advantage plan can do so during this year’s Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP). The AEP begins October 15, 2021, and continues through December 7, 2021, and gives consumers enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B the opportunity to sign up for Anthem’s 2022 Medicare Advantage plans.

These plans will be available to Medicare-eligible residents in the following counties: Bedford, Botetourt, Chesapeake City, Chesterfield, Franklin, Franklin City, Hampton City, Hanover, Henrico, Isle Of Wight, Lynchburg City, Montgomery, Poquoson City, Portsmouth City, Richmond City, Roanoke, Roanoke City, Salem City, Suffolk City, and Virginia Beach City.

For more details about these health plan benefits and Anthem’s Medicare plans, consumers can call [phone], which is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, April 1 to Sept. 30; and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, Oct. 1 to March 31. Individuals can also visit the company’s online store at https://shop.anthem.com/medicare.

HealthKeepers, Inc. is an HMO plan with a Medicare contract. HealthKeepers, Inc. is an HMO DSNP plan with a Medicare contract and a contract with the Virginia Medicaid program. HealthKeepers, Inc. is an HMO CSNP plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in HealthKeepers, Inc. depends on contract renewal. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is an LPPO plan with a Medicare contract. HealthKeepers, Inc. is an HMO/POS CSNP plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in HealthKeepers depends on contract renewal. We do not discriminate, exclude people, or treat them differently on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in our health programs and activities. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-888-230-7338 (TTY: 711). This plan is available to anyone who has both Medical Assistance from the State and Medicare.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, and its service area is all of Virginia except for the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna, and the area east of State Route 123. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and its affiliate HealthKeepers, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/anthemBCBS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AnthemBlueCrossBlueShield.

About Kroger Health

Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of America's leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,200 pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 14 million customers. Our team of 22,000 healthcare practitioners - from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to dietitians and technicians – are committed to helping people live healthier lives. We believe in practicing at the top of our licenses and enabling "food as medicine" to help prevent or manage certain diseases. We are dedicated to providing testing and wellness services to help Americans combat the COVID-19 crisis. Learn more at www.krogerhealth.com.