Fresh Connect Expands Network Nationwide to Include Albertsons, Kroger and Walmart

Enabled by best-in-class technology, shoppers will be enabled to purchase food prescribed by healthcare provider at more than 10,000 stores across the country

BOSTON, June 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, About Fresh, a Boston based nonprofit committed to expanding access to high-quality, fresh food vital to people's health, wellbeing, and culture, announced a new agreement with FIS, the global leader in financial services technology, to strengthen their proprietary Fresh Connect food prescription platform. About Fresh has leveraged the FIS Filtered Spend platform to expand their Fresh Connect program across a national network of over 10,000 grocery retail locations, including Albertsons, Kroger and Walmart. Fresh Connect shoppers can now easily shop for fresh fruits and vegetables at their preferred local store, swipe the prepaid debit card at check out, and the cost of eligible healthy foods are automatically deducted from the total purchase price.

More than 35 million Americans lack reliable and affordable food access due to low wages, inflated food costs and limited grocery retail options. Fresh Connect makes it possible for healthcare to cover the cost of healthy food for those experiencing food insecurity.

"Enabling access to healthy and affordable foods to a wider group of people is a critically important mission," said Chris Como, Senior Vice President, Division Executive, Cards & Money Movement FIS. "We're proud to leverage FIS payment technology to make the payment experience easier and more seamless for families who want to bring fresh food options into their homes."

Fresh Connect is a tech-enabled food prescription program that empowers people with the money and flexibility to buy the foods they need to be and stay healthy. The cloud-based platform integrates seamlessly with healthcare IT infrastructure and workflow and streamlines program administration and measurement. In addition, shoppers receive ongoing, personalized cardholder support from the point of enrollment.

Fresh Connect is positioned to generate compelling evidence for the healthcare value of food prescriptions and thereby catalyze increased healthcare financing for food as medicine.

Fresh Connect has amassed an impressive data set about its Cardholders' best-in-class program engagement. For example, in the last six months of 2022, 74% of Medicaid funded Cardholders in Massachusetts used their card at least once each month to purchase fresh produce; and those active Cardholders spent, on average, 83% of their available benefit.

"As a retailer that operates popular supermarkets such as Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco and Shaw's in communities across the country, our partnership with About Fresh and FIS gives Fresh Connect program recipients more options when shopping for nutritious food," said Irina Pelphrey, VP of Health and Managed Care at Albertsons Companies. "For many of those shoppers who already shop our stores and pharmacies for needs outside of their monthly benefit, the ability to now use their Fresh Connect card will be a tremendous convenience."

"At About Fresh, we are building a first-of-its-kind infrastructure, making it possible for health plans, providers, community-based organizations, and others, to leverage the scale and efficiency of grocery retail and ecommerce to maximize the value of their investment into food as medicine," said Josh Trautwein, Co-founder and CEO of About Fresh. "Joining the FIS Filtered Spend network is a significant milestone as it will allow shoppers across the country to use their Fresh Connect card at more than 10,000 stores to purchase the foods foundational to good health and do so in a manner that is convenient, joyful, and reverent of food culture."

To learn more about the About Fresh "Fresh Connect" program, please visit: www.aboutfresh.org/fresh-connect or ShopFreshConnect.com.

About FIS

FIS is a leading provider of technology solutions for financial institutions and businesses of all sizes and across any industry globally. We enable the movement of commerce by unlocking the financial technology that powers the world's economy. Our employees are dedicated to advancing the way the world pays, banks and invests through our trusted innovation, system performance and flexible architecture. We help our clients use technology in innovative ways to solve business-critical challenges and deliver superior experiences for their customers. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, FIS is a member of the Fortune 500® and the Standard & Poor's 500® Index. To learn more, visit www.fisglobal.com. Follow FIS on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@FISGlobal).

About Fresh Connect and About Fresh:

Fresh Connect enables healthcare organizations to cover the cost of fresh food for patients where they already shop, helping improve health outcomes and support overall wellbeing. Composed of a prepaid debit card funded by healthcare institutions and a HIPAA-compliant program management platform, Fresh Connect empowers patients who are experiencing food insecurity with the convenience and agency to purchase culturally connected, fresh food that supports their health.

About Fresh is a Boston-based nonprofit committed to expanding access to the high-quality, fresh food that is vital to people's health, wellbeing, and culture. About Fresh combines technology, food retail, and community-driven advocacy to expand access to fresh, culturally-relevant food for people who need it most. The Company's latest measurement of Net Promoter Score (NPS), achieved a rating over 80 from users, achieving the "world class" classification. To learn more about the About Fresh "Fresh Connect" program, please visit: www.aboutfresh.org/fresh-connect or ShopFreshConnect.com.

Media Contact:
Michele Fox, [email protected]

SOURCE About Fresh