TRUE RX HEALTH STRATEGISTS BECOMES FIRST PBM TO BRING INSTACART HEALTH FRESH FUNDS TO EMPLOYER PHARMACY BENEFITS

Employers can now fund nutritious food stipends through Instacart for employees in True Rx's dietitian-led weight and diabetes programs

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- True Rx Health Strategists, the family-owned, pharmacist-led pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) based in Indiana, today announced a first-to-market partnership with Instacart, a leading grocery technology company, that lets employers pay for healthy foods as part of the pharmacy benefit plan. Through Instacart Health Fresh Funds, employees with diabetes or weight management needs can receive monthly funds to spend on approved nutritious foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, seafood and dairy from grocers on Instacart. Participants partner with a True Rx dietitian to help select the foods to support their health goals.

Demand for GLP-1 medications continues to grow, and the cost of covering them for weight management is forcing employers into hard decisions about coverage. To help employees no matter what their employer decides, True Rx has expanded its True Outcomes: Weight Management program to anyone who wants to lose weight, whether or not their plan covers GLP-1s. FDA labeling for these medications calls for their use alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, so even employees on therapy need support beyond the prescription. Instacart Health Fresh Funds helps employers provide that support through category-specific stipends that can be used to shop from any grocer on Instacart, with the convenience of same-day delivery.

Instacart Health Fresh Funds and True Outcomes

This partnership is the latest step in True Rx's commitment to food as medicine, focused on the science of how healthy foods and medication, when appropriate, work to support better health. The Instacart Health Fresh Funds offering builds on True Rx's True Outcomes clinical programs for weight management and diabetes. Members work one-on-one with True Rx's own pharmacists, registered dietitians and clinicians, rather than an app or a call center, on personalized nutrition, lifestyle coaching and sustainable health improvements. In a six-month pilot of True Outcomes: Weight Management with members using GLP-1 medications, participants achieved weight loss of up to 15%, and 90% took part in monthly virtual visits.

How it works

After enrolling in a True Outcomes program and completing a qualifying session with a True Rx dietitian or clinician, members receive an Instacart Health Fresh Funds code to use with a new or existing Instacart account. Employers choose a monthly amount of $50 or $100 per member, and the balance is refilled each month for up to six months while the member stays enrolled. Because funds are tied to program participation, employer dollars go to members who are actively engaging with their care team.

The program is designed to close the gap between a meal plan and a grocery cart, one of the most common barriers to weight loss. True Rx dietitians build meal plans and share recipes with members, who can then shop for the ingredients on Instacart using their Fresh Funds stipend. Dietitians use what members buy using Fresh Funds to guide follow-up conversations and reinforce progress.     

In keeping with True Rx's transparent pricing, employers are only billed for the funds members actually use. Aggregate utilization and clinical outcomes are tracked and reported to employers to demonstrate program success.

"As a pharmacist-led PBM, we're guided by the science of what improves member health and what delivers the best outcomes for employers," said Adrienne Williams LaBorwit, CEO of True Rx Health Strategists. "Medication plays an essential role, and so does nutrition. We can give a member excellent dietary guidance, but that guidance is more valuable when we also help make it actionable. By connecting clinical support with Instacart Health Fresh Funds, we're giving employers a practical way to build food as medicine into the pharmacy benefit."

"Helping people put nutrition guidance into practice starts with making the food they need easier to access," said Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president and general manager of Health at Instacart. "Through Fresh Funds and our network of trusted grocers, we're helping True Rx members use employer-funded dollars to shop for nutritious foods that support their health goals, with the convenience of delivery to their door. Working with True Rx, we're giving employers a practical, scalable, and measurable way to engage and support their employees' health."

True Rx announced the partnership today during its True Conversations webinar, "The Pharmacy Benefit's Missing Ingredient: Lessons from Blue Zones on Lowering Chronic Disease Costs," featuring Blue Zones founder Dan Buettner. To watch the full conversation, visit truerx.com.

Instacart Fresh Funds will be available in January 2027 to True Rx employer clients with members enrolled in True Outcomes: Weight Management or True Outcomes: Diabetes Management. Employers and brokers interested in adding Instacart Fresh Funds can learn more at truerx.com.

About True Rx Health Strategists
True Rx Health Strategists is a pharmacy benefit manager for self-funded plans nationwide who refuse to accept the health care paradox: spending more on pharmacy benefits while employees get sicker. As Health Strategists, True Rx delivers transparent pricing and proactive, pharmacist-led solutions guided by clinical expertise, not financial incentives. Through health innovation, True Rx addresses America's biggest health challenges including diabetes, obesity, and mental health. True Rx delivers the True Experience by going the extra mile for every employer and every patient with personalized support and exceptional care. True Rx is an Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Company. Learn more at truerx.com.

About Instacart
Instacart is a leading grocery technology company that partners with more than 2,200 retail banners – representing nearly 100,000 stores – to transform how people shop for the groceries they need from the retailers they trust, while creating flexible earning opportunities for shoppers. Through the Instacart Marketplace, Instacart Enterprise platform, and Instacart Ads ecosystem, the company powers ecommerce, fulfillment, in-store technology, AI offerings, and advertising for partners. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company. Maplebear Inc. is the registered corporate name of Instacart.

SOURCE True Rx Health Strategists