Medica Members in Fargo-Moorhead to Enjoy New Healthy Savings Program

Minneapolis, MN (Feb 24, 2015) — Medica members in the Fargo-Moorhead area soon will receive discounts on healthy foods at Hornbacher’s through the exclusive Medica Healthy Savings program. As part of Medica’s mission to help members live healthier lives, this program helps members eat healthy food and save money on their grocery bill.

The program, initially introduced in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in 2013, is a first-of-its-kind partnership among a health insurer, grocery retailers and food manufacturers. Retailers that participated in the launch include Cub Foods, Rainbow, Lunds and Byerly’s.

Medica members can save more than $150 each month on pre-qualified healthy products across every major food group. Food qualifications are performed within the patented nutrition guidance program from nationally renowned Guiding Stars®. Medica members shop for the featured food promotions at any Hornbacher’s location. Members simply scan their Healthy Savings card at checkout and the savings are instantly deducted from their total. A single Healthy Savings card is accepted by all participating retailers.

Through proprietary technology, offers on healthy foods are updated and stored on Medica member Healthy Savings cards each week. Medica members can access information on offers through weekly emails, their smartphone or the Medica Healthy Savings website. The website allows members to track their savings, and provides valuable information on healthy eating including recipes, nutritional information and tips on how to maintain a balanced diet. In addition, offers on the Healthy Savings program free members from clipping, printing and loading coupons onto loyalty cards.

The Healthy Savings program is available at no cost to Medica members who reside within 30 miles of any participating retailer location. Healthy Savings cards will be mailed to members in the Hornbacher’s market in late February.

More than 140 food producers offer discounts on healthy foods including: Del Monte® Foods; Post Foods; Land-O-Lakes; Gold‘n Plump®; Clif Bar & Company; DASANI®/Coca-Cola Company; Pan-O-Gold Baking Company/Country Hearth; Sparkling ICE®; Dreamfields Foods; Musselman’s; Faribault Foods, Inc.; Old Orchard Brands, LLC; Lifeway Foods, Inc.; Catallia Mexican Foods, LLC; JOLLY TIME® Pop Corn; and Yucatan Foods.

“Evidence suggests that millions of Americans are challenged in managing and maintaining a healthy weight. This program is designed to make healthier food choices more affordable for Medica members,” says John Naylor, Medica’s senior vice president of commercial markets. “At Medica, we help our members live the healthiest lives possible. The health insurance industry has long focused on the importance of being active, but that’s only one part of the health equation,” says Naylor. “We’re proud to be the first insurer to offer this unique opportunity and to help our members eat healthier through education and discounts on nutritional foods.”

“Medica has the foresight to offer this incredible value to its members, at a time when consumers are looking for added value from their insurance partners,” says Barry Nordstrand, chief executive officer of Solutran, who developed the technology platform that runs the program. “We all share the mission to remove barriers to better health ─ through education, new and better tasting ways of preparing foods and making discounts easier to access. But the biggest barrier we hope to break down is the cost of healthier food.”

Dr. Robert Jeffery, director of the Obesity Prevention Center at the University of Minnesota, consulted on the program. “Until now, there hasn’t been a way to drive healthy eating behavior that benefits all parties,” says Jeffery. “With this program, we are seeing the first sustainable model for inspiring and sustaining healthier eating.”

About Medica

Medica is a health services company headquartered in Minneapolis and active in the Upper Midwest. With approximately 1.5 million members, the non-profit company provides health care coverage in the employer, individual, Medicaid, Medicare and Medicare Part D markets in Minnesota and a growing number of counties in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Medica also offers national network coverage to employers who also have employees outside the Medica regional network.

Medica’s vision is to become the community’s health plan of choice, trusted for its integrity, respected for its service, and admired for its commitment to innovation and efficiency.

About Healthy Savings™

Healthy Savings is a program which enables health insurance members to save on healthier foods without having to clip, print or download coupons. Discounts on healthy foods range from $30 – $70 each week and are offered on fresh produce and other healthy staples including milk, bread, cheese, lean meats, and yogurt. Only products in the healthiest one-third of items in a grocery store are offered on promotion through the Healthy Savings program.

Solutran, Inc.’s S3 technology serves as the supporting substantiation platform behind the Healthy Savings™ program. The mission of Healthy Savings™ is to unlock the enormous potential within each individual with the goal of working together to change the way America eats.