WellTheory, a virtual care platform, has begun a partnership with Instacart to address a gap in autoimmune care: access to nutritious anti-inflammatory foods.
The collaboration integrates Instacart Health Fresh Funds into WellTheory’s care model to empower members to purchase recommended foods and improve health outcomes.
Autoimmune patients face barriers to accessing the correct foods – from affordability and availability to translating dietary guidance into shopping decisions. The Instacart partnership supports WellTheory’s mission to fill gaps left by traditional healthcare and provide care that addresses the root causes of autoimmunity.
“Nutrition is at the core of WellTheory’s mission to reverse the autoimmune epidemic, yet patients face real obstacles in translating clinical nutrition guidance into their daily lives,” said Claire Rudolph, co-founder and head of product at WellTheory.
“There’s so much friction – from knowing what foods to buy to affording and accessing them. Our partnership with Instacart removes these barriers, making it easier for our members to follow evidence-based dietary protocols and truly nourish their healing journeys.”
With Fresh Funds, more than 300,000 eligible members in WellTheory’s network will have access to grocery stipends. These funds can be used to purchase food directly from local grocers on Instacart. Instacart reaches more than 98 percent of US households, including 95 percent of those located in food deserts and nearly 98 percent of households enrolled in SNAP.
The integration supports convenient access to the food-as-medicine tools patients need.
“At Instacart, we believe food is one of the most powerful tools to support better health,” said Sarah Mastrorocco, VP and general manager of health at Instacart.
“Through Instacart Health and our consumer technology, we’re helping partners like WellTheory integrate nutrition directly into patient care – turning clinical guidance into action by making it easier for patients to access the right foods to support their health from the comfort of home.”
WellTheory’s program addresses the root causes of autoimmunity through nutrition, lifestyle changes and ongoing personalized support from a care team of registered dietitians and board-certified health coaches. The model aims to manage symptoms, enhance quality of life and reduce healthcare costs.
The partnership builds on WellTheory’s outcomes in autoimmune care, detailed in a recent report demonstrating improvements in autoimmune symptoms and health outcomes. WellTheory partners with employers and health plans, including Maven Clinic and Sentara, to provide virtual care that addresses the needs of autoimmune patients.