CDPHP Enhances Partnerships With Welltok, Foodsmart to Expand Member Access to Healthy Foods

As a leading health plan in New York state, Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc. (CDPHP) has continuously responded to member needs during COVID-19 by expanding programming that keeps members healthy, happy, safe, and secure. In partnership with Welltok, the consumer activation company, CDPHP members have access to Foodsmart (formerly Zipongo) – a reimagined food marketplace, guided by Registered Dietitians, to make healthy eating simple.

Now, in an effort to also address food insecurity concerns among CDPHP members, SNAP-eligible members will be able to use the Foodsmart platform to order groceries from Walmart using their SNAP benefits. This new and innovative feature will enable CDPHP members to most efficiently use their SNAP dollars to purchase healthy foods.

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CDPHP has seen consistent 2-3% increases in month-over-month new Foodsmart registrations, even though member utilization was high before the pandemic even began. The plan is seeing value in the offering, with 92% of registered members having taken the NutriQuiz nutritional assessment and more than 20% using the platform each month.

Additionally, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the importance of nutrition in relation to condition management and mitigating the risk of contracting COVID-19. With Welltok, CDPHP quickly added COVID-19 specific programming to educate members about the virus and to offer helpful tips on staying healthy in quarantine. Members responded positively to these non-incentivized programs with a 73% completion rate.

“Overnight, the world changed for our members, making it even more challenging for some of them to access fresh, healthy, and affordable foods,” said John D. Bennett, MD, president and CEO of CDPHP. “In addition to the myriad of health and wellbeing programs offered by Welltok, the ability for our eligible members to use their SNAP dollars through Foodsmart to order healthy foods will aid in making healthier choices.”

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“CDPHP truly cares about its members by consistently providing timely and essential support,” said April Gill, senior vice president solution management for Welltok. “It’s our honor to help people during these difficult times by making it easy for them to engage with personalized programs to get and stay healthy now – and into the future.”

“Food security has been impacted in several ways due to COVID-19, creating new challenges for people trying to eat healthy,” added Jason Langheier, MD, MPH, CEO and Founder of Foodsmart. “We are proud to be supporting CDPHP members with digital tools they need use to find healthy recipes, build grocery lists, research where they can buy the lowest cost groceries, and stay motivated through telenutrition sessions with our registered dietitians.”

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