Cigna Healthcare employer clients can choose from a variety of HelloFresh offerings with no minimum purchase amount.
- HelloFresh’s meal-kit options are now available to Cigna Healthcare clients at exclusive discounted rates
- Collaboration will also focus on combatting food insecurity by providing free meal kits to communities in need
February 15, 2024
By Cigna
BLOOMFIELD, Conn. and NEW YORK, NY -(Highpoint Digest) – Cigna Healthcare, the health benefits division of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI), and HelloFresh*, the world’s leading meal kit company, announce an exclusive collaboration to offer discounted access to HelloFresh’s wholesome, affordable meals to as many as 12 million Cigna Healthcare customers through their employers. The two companies will also team up to support HelloFresh’s Meals with MeaningThis link will open in a new tab. program, a social impact initiative that provides free meal kits for individuals experiencing food insecurity in local communities.
“Business leaders recognize that healthy employees mean a healthy business, and by expanding access to affordable, healthy meals, employers can better cultivate a stronger workforce,” said Heather Dlugolenski, U.S. commercial strategy officer, Cigna Healthcare. “We’re proud to team up with HelloFresh to support the health and vitality of America’s workforce and to make a difference for communities in need.”
Cigna Healthcare employer clients can choose from a variety of HelloFresh offerings with no minimum purchase amount. Employees can then choose among the options provided, which may include e-gift cards for employees, discounted meal kit subscriptions, and one-time box deliveries to employees’ doorsteps with no subscription required. Each HelloFresh delivery includes all of the fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step instructions to make delicious meals that support a healthy lifestyle.
“We’re excited to team up with Cigna Healthcare to make fresh and wholesome HelloFresh meal kits available as a healthcare benefit,” said Adam Kalikow, senior vice president & managing director, Meal Kits at HelloFresh U.S. “This partnership emphasizes the important role that home cooking plays in supporting consumers’ overall health and well-being. Together with Cigna Healthcare, we’re making HelloFresh meal kits even more accessible while working together to combat food insecurity in our local communities.”
One in three U.S. workers reported experiencing food insecurity within the past three months, according to The Cigna Group’s 2023 Vitality in America research., and six in 10 Americans have at least one chronic disease, many exacerbated by unhealthy diets. These diet-related chronic diseases account for nearly 20% of all U.S. healthcare costs annually.
in a 2018 study conducted by the Havard School of Public Health, research indicated poor dieting was linked to $50 billion in U.S. healthcare costs. The study continued to state the following results. Unhealthy diets account for almost 20% of U.S. healthcare costs from heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, according to a new study.
Published December 17, 2019, in PLOS Medicine, the study was conducted by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in collaboration with investigators at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Senior author Thomas Gaziano, of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at BWH, has a joint appointment as an associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“There is a lot to be gained in terms of reducing risk and cost associated with heart disease, stroke and diabetes by making relatively simple changes to one’s diet,” said Gaziano in a BWH press release. “Our study indicates that the foods we purchase at the grocery store can have a big impact.”
In December 2023, Cigna Healthcare and its health equity team collaborated with select employer clients located in underserved communities to deliver nearly 3,500 HelloFresh meals to their employees around the holidays. Dedicated efforts were managed by Cigna Healthcare’s well-being coordinators, some of whom are registered dietitians.
“Healthy eating is an important part of our total well-being strategy, which is designed to help employees live and work their best. We invest in our employees by providing educational opportunities to learn more about nutrition including healthy cooking classes, increasing access to fresh fruit with city-wide workplace deliveries, and are currently considering healthy vending options,” said Terrence R. Moore, ICMA-CM, city manager at City of Delray Beach. “Our employees were surprised and delighted to receive HelloFresh meal kits over the holidays, and we know from their positive feedback that it made it easier for employees and their families to eat well, stress less, and maintain their health during the busy holiday season.”
* HelloFresh does not make any claims that any of its offerings will treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition; always consult with a health professional when making dietary changes or choices.
Source: Cigna and Havard School of Public Health
Photo courtesy of Cigna
