New technology from an Arizona company is reinventing the way businesses keep healthcare costs down, while making it easier for consumers to find healthy options at the grocery store.
ScriptSave WellRx, based out of Tucson, unveiled new mobile technology that makes personalized grocery recommendations based on a person’s health, allergies or diet. It’s the first free mobile app that makes nutritional recommendations at the grocery store based on an individual’s health needs.
Reducing healthcare-related expenses, or even keeping them relatively flat, takes some maneuvering for most businesses. But WellRx found that by simply educating employees on the benefits of a healthy diet — via easy-to-use technology — businesses could cut their medical costs without compromising the health of their employees.
Here’s how WellRx’s new grocery shopping technology is helping small and large businesses keep their healthcare costs down, while keeping employees happy and healthy:
WellRx’s technology helps employees make smarter and healthier food choices at the grocery store. This decreases their potential for severe health issues, as a poor diet can lead to — or worsen — obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular issues and other health problems.
A healthier lifestyle leads to less unexpected time off. This can save businesses thousands of dollars yearly. According to Circadian (www.circadian.com/blog/item/43-shift-work-absenteeism-the-bottom-line-killer.html), unscheduled days off costs a business roughly $3,600 per year for each hourly worker; for salaried employees, roughly $2,650 each year.
WellRx’s technology alerts employees on potentially life-threatening food allergies. This not only decreases emergency-room visits that cost businesses thousands of dollars but also alerts users if they’ve selected a food that may negatively impact their health, or worsen their health condition.
Everyone saves money. The grocery shopping tool decreases healthcare-related expenses for both the business and employee without compromising anyone’s health.
WellRx’s technology doesn’t discriminate. Insured and non-insured employees, both, can use WellRx’s free grocery shopping tool. This gives non-insured employees an option outside of health insurance to educate themselves on how to make healthier food choices that are more compatible with their health conditions or lifestyle.
A Closer Look at WellRx’s Free Grocery Shopping Technology
The average grocery store has roughly 50,000 items, making it difficult to know which products are healthy and which are just “marketed” as healthy. It can be overwhelming to find legitimately healthy items, especially when marketers purposely mislead consumers in packaging that is designed to sound healthy.
WellRx’s grocery shopping technology brings together nutritional data science with AI-powered personalization to help consumers know which food products at the grocery store are compatible with their health.
WellRx’s technology allows consumers to scan the bar-code of nearly any food at the grocery store on their smartphone and instantly discover a Food Index Rating based on calories, ingredients and other nutrition facts.
The Food Index Rating also shows consumers whether a food is compatible with their allergies or diet, or if it could potentially harm them in any way.
For consumers with certain health conditions — like diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease — the free technology filters out bad foods, replacing them with items that are better for their health. There is even a category to help pregnant women, vegetarians and vegans find healthy food options for their more specialized diet.
WellRx’s free technology is accessible to business owners as well as general consumers, improving the health and personal medical costs for everyone involved — both employers and employees.
Shawn Ohri is VP of Product and Technology at ScriptSave WellRx, which has helped consumers save $10 billion in prescription medications.
