Walmart is partnering with SCAN Health Plan to develop a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan.
The offering is expected to launch in two states, with benefits potentially including pharmacy, vision, food. and over-the-counter products.
The partnership aims to make healthcare more connected to everyday routines, but specific plan details are still being finalized.
Walmart is making a move into Medicare Advantage, teaming up with SCAN Health Plan to develop a co-branded insurance offering for older adults.
The partnership brings together Walmart’s retail, pharmacy, and technology capabilities with SCAN’s experience providing Medicare coverage. The companies say their goal is to create a more connected healthcare experience that helps older adults manage their health as part of their everyday lives.
The announcement represents another way Walmart is expanding its role in healthcare beyond selling medications and wellness products. For Medicare beneficiaries, it could eventually mean having more healthcare-related services and benefits connected to a retailer they may already visit regularly.
“Walmart has been helping customers navigate Medicare choices for more than a decade,” Pravene Nath, M.D., group director for consumer health and data solutions at Walmart U.S., said in a news release.
“What makes this collaboration unique is Walmart’s role in customers’ everyday lives. Because customers regularly turn to Walmart for groceries and other everyday essentials, we have an opportunity for those who choose to participate, to use insights from their shopping experiences to make nutrition guidance more relevant and actionable. Combined with Walmart’s breadth across food, pharmacy, vision, and other health and wellness services, and SCAN’s deep Medicare expertise, we can create a more connected experience that helps older adults take action on their health goals as part of their everyday routines.”
How the Walmart and SCAN partnership will work
The collaboration combines SCAN’s nearly five decades of experience serving older adults with Walmart’s experience helping customers navigate Medicare coverage.
Walmart has provided in-store insurance support for more than a decade and launched Walmart Insurance Services, its licensed insurance agency, in 2020.
A key part of the new partnership is Walmart’s Everyday Health Signals platform, an artificial intelligence-powered tool designed to provide personalized nutrition and wellness information.
Participants can share their health and wellness goals and receive tailored insights, including food recommendations informed by their preferences and shopping habits.
SCAN and Walmart plan to make these resources available to participating members alongside broader coaching and wellness support. The companies also say the proposed plan may include pharmacy and vision services, food benefits, and over-the-counter products, subject to regulatory review and approval.
What the new plan could mean for consumers
For older adults, the partnership could bring together several healthcare-related resources in one insurance offering. Members may be able to access benefits for pharmacy services, vision care, food, and over-the-counter products while receiving personalized guidance to help them make decisions about their health.
The nutrition platform could also help members put wellness advice into practice during everyday grocery shopping.
However, the announcement does not provide a complete breakdown of premiums, eligibility requirements, coverage limits, or participating providers. The two launch states have not been named, and the proposed benefits still require regulatory approval.
For consumers considering Medicare Advantage coverage, the key will be reviewing the final plan details once they become available. The partnership could offer a new way to connect healthcare with everyday shopping, but whether it meets an individual’s needs will depend on its actual costs, benefits, and coverage.
“At SCAN, we believe healthcare is better when it is personalized to the individual, and when members choose to opt in, data can help us deliver a more relevant experience tailored to their needs,” Zack Myers, national general manager of SCAN Health Plan, said in the release.
“By combining Walmart’s technology capabilities and consumer retail expertise with SCAN’s Medicare product experience, we have an opportunity to develop products that translate those insights into meaningful support that helps members make more informed choices about their health and well-being.”