Soda Health Adds Walgreens to Network of Integrated Retailers, Serving More than 100 Million Medicare Advantage and Medicaid Members

DEERFIELD, Ill. and BENTONVILLE, Ark., Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Soda Health today announced the expansion of the Soda Health Smart Benefits program to include Walgreens, the leading integrated independent retail pharmacy and healthcare provider, in the company’s network of integrated retailers. The program, which allows recipients to receive personalized health and wellness benefits, is available to participating Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and employer benefits programs, as well as other public organizations.

Soda Health partners with health plans to ensure the benefits are personalized and delivered down to the SKU-level, ensuring that dollars may only be used on the products that contribute to a healthier lifestyle and health outcomes.

The expansion of the Soda Health Smart Benefits program to include Walgreens simplifies the administration and access to these benefits and allows more Medicare Advantage members to conveniently use their benefit dollars at their local, trusted pharmacy. Funded by insurance plans and other health benefits organizations, the program aims to help increase access to health care services and address social determinants of health.

“There are 35 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage and 88 million Americans who rely on Medicaid. For them, supplemental benefit dollars for purchases on OTC products and food aren’t just supplemental,” said Jared Childs, VP of Business Development at Soda Health. “Walgreens and Soda Health are collaborating to ensure they have access to the things they need to live healthier lives. We are thrilled to work with such a trusted brand who shares our vision of retail as a healthcare destination. With the addition of Walgreens, we can reach and serve more Americans."

To learn more, contact Julie.Fleischer@SodaHealth.com

Soda Health is reducing health inequity across the healthcare industry through its unique Smart Benefits technology platform. Smart Benefits connect people to products and services they need, when they need them, so they can live healthier lives. Soda Health partners nationwide with health plans and retailers to deliver expansive benefits for essentials such as healthy foods, OTC medications, or transportation. Beyond facilitating transactions, Soda Health understands each individual's needs and connects people to the resources they need to live healthier lives.

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the U.S. Retail Pharmacy and U.S. Healthcare segments of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader. True to its purpose of “more joyful lives through better health,” Walgreens has a more than 120-year heritage of caring for communities and providing trusted pharmacy services, and today is playing a greater role as an independent partner of choice offering healthcare services that improve care, lower costs, and help patients. Operating nearly 9,000 retail locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Walgreens is proud to serve nearly 9 million customers and patients daily. The company’s pharmacists are playing a more critical role in healthcare than ever before, providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services, including those that drive equitable access to care for some of the nation’s most underserved populations. Walgreens offers customers and patients a true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital platforms designed to deliver high-quality products and healthcare services. Within the U.S. Healthcare segment, Walgreens portfolio also includes businesses in primary care, multi-specialty, post-acute care, urgent care, specialty pharmacy services, population health and provider enablement.