NationsBenefits and Acme Fresh Market Partner to Expand Benefits Access for Grocery and OTC Wellness Needs Across Ohio

PLANTATION, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NationsBenefits®, the leading healthcare fintech, benefits and outcomes platform, today announced a new retail network integration with Acme Fresh Market, a grocery retailer serving communities across Ohio. Through this partnership, eligible health plan members can now use their NationsBenefits Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Flex Card* at participating locations to purchase approved grocery, over-the-counter (OTC) health products, and other essential wellness items.

The integration is enabled through NationsBenefits' Basket Adjudication Service (BAS), which validates item-level eligibility in real time directly at checkout. As a health plan member taps or swipes their Flex Card, BAS instantly determines which items in the basket qualify under their plan's benefit allowance and applies it automatically, so members know exactly what's covered before they leave the register.

“Empowering healthier communities starts with accessible nutrition,” said Michael Parker, Co-CEO of NationsBenefits. “By bringing our Flex Card and BAS technology into Acme Fresh Market stores, we’re making it easier for Ohio members, especially those managing health conditions like diabetes, blood pressure or heart disease, to access the fresh groceries and wellness products they need to live healthier lives.”

The partnership arrives as food insecurity remains a persistent driver of poor health outcomes across the state. More than 1.82 million Ohioans, roughly 15.3% of the state's population, experienced food insecurity in 2024. Research has consistently linked food insecurity to higher rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, underscoring why access to nutritious food is treated as a core social driver of health rather than a side issue. By reducing friction at checkout and connecting benefit dollars directly to grocery and pharmacy essentials, this integration is designed to help close that gap for eligible members in the communities Acme Fresh Market serves.

Each Flex Card transaction also generates de-identified, ZIP code–level purchasing data, giving health plans clearer visibility into how members access their benefits at the community level. By capturing this data at the point of sale, the NationsBenefits Flex Card transforms routine purchases into real-time health intelligence. These micro-insights give health plans unprecedented visibility into neighborhood-level social drivers of health, revealing where food deserts exist, where wellness access lags, and how members actually utilize their benefits in the wild. With this hyper-local intelligence, plans can move away from one-size-fits-all strategies, designing targeted outreach and tailored benefits that meet members precisely where their daily lives happen.

Katie Swartz, Vice President of Marketing for Acme Fresh Market said, "Acme Fresh Market is always looking for new ways to improve our customer experience, so we are proud to partner with NationsBenefits. Acme is known for fast, friendly checkout - and accepting NationsBenefits at all registers makes shopping Acme even easier. This is a great complement to our Hometown Pharmacies, and we look forward to welcoming NationsBenefits card users!”

The partnership also supports NationsBenefits' mission to address Social Drivers of Health (SDoH) by leveraging proprietary technology to increase benefit access and improve long-term health outcomes. Health plans and healthcare organizations interested in learning more about the NationsBenefits BAS technology and how it supports food as medicine strategies, member engagement, and population health initiatives can visit https://nationsbenefits.com/bas.

About NationsBenefits®

NationsBenefits is the leading healthcare fintech, benefit, and outcomes company at the forefront of the convergence of commerce and care. By unifying healthcare benefits, financial technology, and clinical outcome solutions into a single, seamless ecosystem, NationsBenefits transforms how health plans and members engage with the healthcare journey. The company partners with Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial health plans to provide innovative rewards and incentives, data analytics, and care-gap closure solutions to drive growth and improve population health. Through its proprietary fintech infrastructure and integrated platform, NationsBenefits transforms traditional benefit administration into a precision tool for outcome improvement and care program adherence. By leveraging opt-in health data to drive smarter choices and expand access to essential health solutions, NationsBenefits empowers members, optimizes their experience at every touchpoint, and is dedicated to improving quality of life by making healthy outcomes more accessible. To learn more, visit NationsBenefits.com.

About Acme Fresh Market

Acme Fresh Market is a family-owned, Northeast Ohio grocery retailer operated by the F.W. Albrecht Grocery Company. Founded in 1891 by Frederick Wilhelm Albrecht as a small neighborhood grocery store in Akron, Acme has served local families for 135 years and today operates stores and Hometown Pharmacies across Summit, Portage, Stark, and Medina counties. Known for fresh, quality products, fast and friendly service, and a deep commitment to the communities, farmers, and employees it serves, Acme remains a hometown grocer and a cornerstone of Northeast Ohio. To learn more, visit acmestores.com.

*The Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. Card can be used for eligible expenses wherever Mastercard is accepted. Valid only in the U.S. No cash access.