Something Healthy is Happening in Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN (Jan 14, 2014) — Building on the launch of the program in June 2013 to its commercial accounts, Medica recently added several enhancements to the already successful Medica Healthy Savings program, making healthier foods even more affordable for Medica members.

Medica Healthy Savings was introduced as part of Medica’s mission to help members live healthier by providing them a way to eat healthier food and save money on their grocery bill. “The Medica Healthy Savings program has been well received by our members and is the only program of its kind that offers savings on pre-qualified healthy foods,” said Scott Reid, Medica’s vice president of product strategy and development.

Originally introduced to Medica members with health insurance through an employer, the Healthy Savings program is now available to Medica’s individual and family plan members who reside within 30 miles of a participating retailer.

In addition, Medica has also introduced a fresh produce feature to the Healthy Savings program. Employers can fund a fresh produce benefit for their employees through this program by offering discounts on weekly fruits and vegetables purchases or cash-value rewards that can be applied toward fresh produce purchases. These benefits are attained with a simple scan of the Healthy Savings card at the checkout counter. “The fresh produce program delivers savings on fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Reid. “Medica, as one of the first employers to fund this program, offers its employees 25% off their produce purchases, up to $10 in savings each week.”

Other employers are also adopting the fresh produce program. “We see value in providing a program that boosts the health of our employees and our employees respond enthusiastically to these wellness incentives,” said Tiffany Weiler, human resources coordinator at Independent School District 191 in Burnsville, Minn. “The expansion of the Healthy Savings program to include the fresh produce option will provide nutritional value and also provide a financial benefit to our employees.”

The list of food companies offering discounts on their healthy-qualified items through the Healthy Savings program is growing and now exceeds 75 different brands including Tyson, Brownberry, Country Hearth, Crystal Farms, Del Monte, Gold’n Plump, Land O’Lakes, Nestle, Old Orchard and Post. Members simply scan their Healthy Savings card at participating grocers, including 119 locations of Cub® Foods, Rainbow®, Lunds and Byerly’s stores.

Medica members can save nearly $100 each month on pre-qualified healthy products across every major food group. Qualified foods are based on the patented nutrition guidance program from nationally renowned Guiding Stars®. Through proprietary technology developed by Solutran, 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 a first-of-its-kind partnership among a health insurer, grocery
retailers and food manufacturers.

About Medica

Serving about 1.5 million members, Medica is a health insurance company headquartered in Minneapolis and active in the Upper Midwest. 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 S3

S3 is a new promotional technology platform designed to educate and reward consumer communities using a cross-retailer loyalty program, delivered through a bar-coded card and supporting digital media. Savings on targeted products are pre-loaded into member’s accounts and are available for consumers, real-time, at participating retail locations. Solutran’s S3 technology serves as the supporting substantiation platform behind the Medica Healthy Savings program, which enables members to save on healthier foods without having to clip, click, download or print coupons.

About Solutran

Solutran is a Minneapolis-based technology company whose mission is to provide clients with innovative, reliable and responsive electronic technology and paper financial services. Solutran is a national leader in retail and pharmacy payments, consumer incentive payments and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) payments. Solutran services retail partners such as Kroger, Safeway, SUPERVALU, Roundy’s, CVS and Walgreen’s. With 30 years of experience, Solutran is the leading processor of consumer incentives in the country. Solutran offers leading-edge WIC capabilities in both paper and electronic processing and currently serves 58 of the 90 WIC agencies. For more information, visit solutran.com or call 888.SOLUTRAN (888-765-8872).