Independent grocery stores and their customers are being left out of health benefit food programs funded by health insurance plans, the National Grocers Association said Feb. 22.
"Private health plans, including Medicare Advantage health plans, are increasingly issuing supplemental health benefit cards that allow policyholders to purchase healthy foods in grocery stores. Unfortunately, these restricted-spend cards are preventing these individuals from shopping where they choose and excluding the entire independent grocery segment from program delivery," the NGA said in a letter to White House officials.
The benefits are typically distributed on a card, but are not interoperable between retailers, the group said. That can keep independent grocers from competing against bigger chains.
"On behalf of the independent grocery sector, NGA is calling on the White House to convene a meeting of stakeholders to mediate a comprehensive solution between the various public-private partners," the NGA said in the letter.