Walmart, Humana Reward Consumers For Buying Healthy Foods

BENTONVILLE, Ark.Walmart and HumanaVitality, a division of Humana insurance, have teamed up to create Vitality HealthyFood, a first-of-its-kind program to promote better nutrition by rewarding U.S. consumers with savings when they purchase healthy foods.

Beginning Oct. 15, more than 1 million HumanaVitality members who shop at Walmart stores will be eligible for the new program that offers a 5% savings on products that qualify for Walmarts Great For You icon, including fresh fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy.

The Vitality HealthyFood" program is available at all Walmart stores. After accepting Humana Vitalitys terms and conditions at HumanaVitality.com or Humana.com, and taking a brief HumanaVitality Health Assessment, members will receive their Vitality HealthyFood card for 5% savings on items that qualify for the Great for You icon. When a member goes to Walmart for their grocery shopping, the 5% savings will be loaded as credits to each members Vitality HealthyFood card within five business days for use on their next trip. Available initially to more than 1 million HumanaVitality members, the program will expand to additional members early next year.

We need innovative thinking and new partnerships to successfully address our countrys alarming healthcare issues," said Ginny Ehrlich, chief executive officer of the William J. Clinton Foundations Health Matters Initiative. Walmart and HumanaVitality working together to help people make better decisions in the grocery aisle is a perfect example of how promoting healthier lifestyles can be a win for companies willing to explore new paths and, far more importantly, a great benefit for the health status of Americans."

Commenting on the new program, John Agwunobi, M.D., president of health and wellness, Walmart U.S., said: Price is an important factor in incentivizing wellness in America. By offering affordable, healthier foods, we will help make our customers healthier and reduce costs to our healthcare system as a whole. This represents preventative care in its purest form."

Last year, Walmart joined First Lady Michelle Obamas quest to eradicated obesity in the United States by introducing a new initiative to provide its customers with healthier and more affordable food choices. Walmart pledged to make healthier choices more affordable, saving customers approximately $1 billion per year on fresh fruits and vegetables through a variety of sourcing, pricing, and transportation and logistics initiatives that will drive unnecessary costs out of the supply chain. The company also reduce or eliminate the price premium on key better-for-you" items, such as reduced sodium, sugar or fat products.