Acme Fresh Market, the family-owned Northeast Ohio grocer operated by The F.W. Albrecht Grocery Company, has partnered with NationsBenefits to let eligible health plan members use the NationsBenefits Benefits Mastercard Prepaid Flex Card at participating stores for approved grocery, over-the-counter health and wellness purchases.
The integration runs on NationsBenefits’ Basket Adjudication Service, which validates item-level eligibility in real time at checkout. When a member taps or swipes the Flex Card, the system determines which items in the basket qualify under the plan’s benefit allowance and applies it automatically, so members know what’s covered before leaving the register.
Pharmacy complement
“Acme is known for fast, friendly checkout, and accepting NationsBenefits at all registers makes shopping Acme even easier,” said Katie Swartz, VP of marketing. “This is a great complement to our Hometown Pharmacies, and we look forward to welcoming NationsBenefits card users.”
Founded in 1891 in Akron, Acme Fresh Market has served local families for 135 years with stores in Summit, Portage, Stark and Medina counties. According to Acme’s website, it operates 15 stores.
“By bringing our Flex Card and BAS technology into Acme Fresh Market stores, we’re making it easier for Ohio members, especially those managing health conditions like diabetes, blood pressure or heart disease, to access the fresh groceries and wellness products they need to live healthier lives,” said Michael Parker, co-CEO of NationsBenefits.
Spurred by food insecurity
The companies cited food insecurity as a driver of the partnership, saying more than 1.82 million Ohioans, roughly 15.3 percent of the state’s population, experienced food insecurity in 2024. Research has linked food insecurity to higher rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
Each Flex Card transaction also generates de-identified, ZIP code-level purchasing data, which NationsBenefits said gives health plans visibility into how members use benefits at the community level, including where food deserts exist and where wellness access lags.
Acme joins retailers including Harps, Giant Eagle, Dave’s, Lucky’s, Ahold Delhaize U.S., Albertsons, Tops Friendly Markets and others in accepting the cards.
Plantation, Florida-based NationsBenefits is a healthcare fintech and benefits platform that partners with Medicare, Medicaid and commercial health plans.
Related: Harps Food Stores, NationsBenefits Partner On OTC Flex Cards