Instacart Announces Nationwide Access To Free COVID-19 Telemedicine Consultations For Shopper Community

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Instacart, the North American leader in online grocery, today announced a new partnership with Doctor On Demand to offer free access to COVID-19 screenings and virtual medical consultations to the shopper community. Additionally, Instacart is enacting a new health and safety measure to keep the entire Instacart community safe, calling on all shoppers to wear face masks in stores and when they come in contact with customers, and asking customers to do the same.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we remain deeply committed to evolving our health and safety measures to support all members of the Instacart community. Starting today, we're offering all Instacart shoppers free access to COVID-19 screenings as part of a new partnership with Doctor On Demand. We want to make it as easy as possible for shoppers to quickly gain access to quality health care as they may need it," said Nilam Ganenthiran, President of Instacart. "As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise across North America, we're taking additional steps to create a safe experience for customers and shoppers. Beginning today, we're rolling out a new policy asking both shoppers and customers to wear a face mask. We believe the simple act of wearing a face mask can help save lives and keep our loved ones, neighbors, and others in our communities safe."

The new partnership with Doctor On Demand marks the national rollout of a successful program Instacart piloted in Pennsylvania and Washington, DC, earlier this summer and will run until the end of the year. As part of this program, any shopper experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 may take Doctor On Demand's online assessment to determine whether or not they should seek additional medical attention. Based on the results of the assessment, shoppers can schedule a free telemedicine appointment with a Doctor On Demand clinician to discuss whether they should get tested. Instacart will cover the cost of the visit to ensure shoppers have access to healthcare when they need it. If a shopper is clinically diagnosed with COVID-19 by the healthcare provider, they will continue to be eligible to receive up to 14 days of extended pay to ensure they are financially supported during their recovery.

"It is critical that everyone has access to high-quality care in this difficult time, not just for their own health and safety, but for the health and safety of their families and broader community," said Hill Ferguson, CEO of Doctor On Demand. "Instacart shoppers are providing an essential service for communities nationwide, and we are pleased to expand our  partnership to ensure these shoppers on the front lines can quickly and cost-effectively access care, no matter where they are located."

To further support the health of the entire Instacart community, starting next week, shoppers and customers will see new in-app messages with simple safety steps and reminders to wear face coverings to keep our community safe. Any active shopper who needs a face mask can order a health and safety kit free of charge, even if they've already ordered and received one from Instacart earlier this year. These kits include a multi-layer face mask that is washable and reusable and a bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer that will ship directly to shoppers with a leak-proof seal.

To date, Instacart has distributed nearly 450,000 health and safety kits to shoppers, with more kits shipping every week. Since April, the company has invested more than $20 million to support shoppers' health and safety, supporting new policies, guidelines, product features, resources, increased bonuses, and personal protective equipment to ensure the health and safety of shoppers.

In addition to consulting with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to refine policies, products, and education, Instacart also consulted with a team of health and safety experts, including an epidemiologist, a distinguished professor specializing in microbial risk modeling, and a medical doctor specializing in infectious diseases. Practicing healthy habits during the Instacart experience protects not just our community, but helps protect everyone.

About Instacart
Instacart is the North American leader in online grocery and one of the fastest-growing companies in ecommerce. Instacart shoppers offer same-day delivery and pickup services to bring fresh groceries and everyday essentials to busy people and families across the U.S. and Canada. Instacart has partnered with more than 400 beloved national, regional and local retailers, including Albertsons, ALDI, Costco, Kroger, Loblaw, Publix, Sam's Club, Sprouts, Walmart Canada, and Wegmans, among others, to deliver from more than 30,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America. Instacart's delivery service is available to more than 85% of U.S. households and 70% of Canadian households. The company's cutting-edge enterprise technology also powers the ecommerce platforms of some of the world's biggest retail players, supporting their white-label websites, applications and delivery solutions. Instacart offers an Instacart Express membership for unlimited free delivery on orders over $35. For more information, visit www.instacart.com. For anyone interested in becoming an Instacart shopper, visit https://shoppers.instacart.com/.

SOURCE Instacart

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