
Walmart and Soda Health Join Forces to Deliver AI-Powered Personalized Nutrition and Wellness Insights
BENTONVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Walmart (NYSE: WMT), the world's leading omnichannel retailer, and Soda Health, a health technology company focused on smarter health benefits administration, today announced a collaboration to launch the Walmart Everyday Health Signals™ program to select Medicare Advantage and Medicaid members. This innovative initiative helps participating flex card members' wellness efforts by providing personalized nutrition and guidance based on retail shopping insights and analysis.
The Walmart Everyday Health Signals™ program is designed to support day-to-day decisions for better health and wellbeing. By utilizing real-time retail insights and targeted benefit delivery, the program addresses key population health challenges by meeting people where they are in their everyday shopping journeys.
Members who enroll in the program can opt in to receive personalized nutrition and wellness insights based on their shopping patterns on Walmart.com. This includes key nutritional information for purchases like fruits and vegetables and identifying products to help reach wellness goals, along with customized healthy recipes and shopping lists. These data-driven insights are generated only when members opt in to participate.
This program enables eligible health plan members to enjoy personalized health and benefit plan offerings. Participating members who opt in receive direct access to real-time engagement tools powered by data driven insights:
After selecting a wellness objective, members will receive guidance tailored to their goals and personal shopping habits.
Members will be provided data-driven guidance to help navigate food choices and lifestyle change.
Information may also be used by health plans to identify additional benefits which support the members' overall health and wellness. For example, insights may be used by plans to facilitate care coordination and identify additional benefits in support of the member's overall health and wellness
'At Walmart, we're focused on making it easier for individuals and families to access the everyday foods that support their health and well-being,' said Pravene Nath, MD, Group Director, Consumer Health and Data Solutions at Walmart. 'Through our work with Soda Health, we're helping members and other plan participants access personalized insights and groceries that align with their wellness goals. Together, we're creating affordable, scalable solutions that address both individual health and broader community needs.'
'Our collaboration with Walmart demonstrates how the retail and healthcare sectors can work together to improve population health—starting with nutrition,' said Robby Knight, Co-Founder and CEO of Soda Health. 'Soda Health is helping to create connections between health plans and retailers to serve their members better by using opt in data to personalize interventions. As the focus increasingly turns toward the role of food as medicine, programs like this will help define better ways of improving outcomes and reducing the cost of care.'
With 90% of the U.S. population living within 10 miles of a Walmart store, and deep engagement in both urban and rural communities, the Walmart Everyday Health Signals™ program offers unprecedented reach. It brings healthcare and nutrition together in a familiar, accessible environment, turning everyday shopping into a catalyst for better health.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money and live better — anytime and anywhere — in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 255 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2024 revenue of $648 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, on X (formerly known as Twitter) at twitter.com/walmart, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart.
Soda Health is a technology company that administers Smart Benefits to connect people to the products and service they need, when they need them, so they can live healthier lives. We partner with health plans and retailers to deliver expansive benefits for things like healthy foods, OTC medications, or transportation. Soda Health is reinventing benefits administration so that everyone benefits, with more value for each and better outcomes for all.
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Business Wire
an hour ago
- Business Wire
Chiesi Global Rare Diseases Awards Research Grants to Advance Innovation in Lysosomal Diseases
PARMA, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Chiesi Global Rare Diseases, a business unit of the Chiesi Group established to deliver innovative solutions for people living with rare diseases, today announced the recipients of its "Find For Rare" research grant program. The independently assessed, expert-led research grant initiative aims to improve patient care and management by recognising innovative research in three lysosomal diseases: Fabry disease, alpha-mannosidosis, and cystinosis. Chiesi Global Rare Diseases Awards Research Grants to Advance Innovation in Lysosomal Diseases Share The selected projects demonstrated significant potential to address unmet needs within these rare communities. The recipients include: Fabry disease: Mitra Tavakoli, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK, for her project "FAB-PAIN: Precise phenotyping of neuropathy using a range of novel biomarkers in Fabry Disease' Project overview: This project aims to explore a range of novel biomarkers to better understand the pain pathways and its pathophysiology in Fabry disease. The findings may lead to the development of a range of new neuropathic biomarkers, advancing the understanding of disease mechanisms and facilitating the creation of diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions. Alpha-mannosidosis: Margarita Dinamarca, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland, for her project "Investigating brain endothelial dysfunction in alpha-mannosidosis" Project Overview: This research is significant for its dual contributions: unraveling the mechanisms by which alpha-mannosidosis disrupts endothelial cell function and pioneering a targeted therapeutic strategy using nanocarriers Cystinosis: Francesco Bellomo, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù – IRCCS, Rome, Italy, for his project "Study of molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of ketogenic diet in cystinosis" Project Overview: This research project investigates the potential of a ketogenic diet to treat nephropathic cystinosis, a rare genetic disorder leading to kidney disease. By studying the diet's effects in murine models, significant reductions in symptoms such as Fanconi syndrome, inflammation, and fibrosis were observed. The project aims to develop an in vitro system to further explore the molecular mechanisms behind these benefits, potentially enabling the discovery of new therapeutic options. Applications opened for submission on August 08, 2024, and a total of 82 applications from 23 countries were received. All submitted applications were evaluated by a steering committee of 10 independent leading experts in the field of Lysosomal Diseases, who received an honorarium for participating and reviewing the research projects. Details regarding the application criteria can be located here. "Fabry disease, alpha-mannosidosis, and cystinosis are rare and ultra-rare lysosomal diseases causing severe, progressive, lifelong challenges, often complicated by diagnostic delays due to their complex and gradual progression," said Enrico Piccinini, Senior Vice President, EU and International, Rare Diseases at Chiesi Group. "Further research is vital for better diagnostics, new management options, and improved patient outcomes. The selection of these three projects through 'Find For Rare' highlights our deep commitment to advancing Lysosomal Diseases care by fostering crucial innovation to meet the evolving needs of patients and their families." Chiesi hosted a ceremony on June 18, 2025, at Chiesi's headquarters in Parma, Italy, to formally recognise the grant recipients and their innovative research. 'The quality and scientific rigor of the proposals submitted to Find For Rare this year were impressive. Each selected project stood out for its potential to address real, day-to-day challenges faced by patients and caregivers affected by lysosomal diseases,' said Prof. Christina Lampe, Chair of the Find For Rare Steering Committee. 'By supporting research that is both innovative and patient-focused, this program helps accelerate the translation of science into meaningful impact for rare disease communities.' About Find For Rare The Find For Rare Research Grant Initiative has been designed to support original research projects that advance knowledge in the fields of Fabry disease, alpha-mannosidosis, and cystinosis. The categories of research eligible for funding are projects aimed at improving understanding of the factors affecting diseases, from pathogenesis to progression, and studies of patient tailored clinical management. Research grants were provided to organisations operating in the health or scientific research sector. Proposals were welcome from all global regions other than the Americas, with application documents required to be in English. About Lysosomal Diseases Lysosomal Diseases are inborn errors of metabolism that are characterised by an abnormal build-up of substances in the body's cells as a result of enzyme deficiencies. 1 The build-up of these substances can affect different parts of the body, including the skeleton, central nervous system (brain), lungs, heart, and eyes. Whilst there has been progress in clinical knowledge, more research in Lysosomal Diseases can be beneficial. 1 About Chiesi Group Chiesi is a research-oriented international biopharmaceutical group that develops and markets innovative therapeutic solutions in respiratory health, rare diseases, and specialty care. The company's mission is to improve people's quality of life and act responsibly towards both the community and the environment. By adopting the legal form of Benefit Corporation in Italy, the US, France and Colombia, Chiesi's commitment to creating shared value for society as a whole is legally binding and central to company-wide decision-making. As a certified B Corp since 2019, Chiesi is part of a global community of businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental impact. The company aims to reach Net-Zero greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions by 2035. With 90 years of experience, Chiesi is headquartered in Parma (Italy), with 31 affiliates worldwide, and counts more than 7,500 employees. The Group's research and development centre in Parma works alongside 6 other important R&D hubs in France, the US, Canada, China, the UK, and Sweden. About Chiesi Global Rare Diseases Chiesi Global Rare Diseases is a business unit of the Chiesi Group established to deliver innovative therapies and solutions for people living with rare diseases. As a family business, Chiesi Group strives to create a world where it is common to have a therapy for all diseases and acts as a force for good, for society and the planet. The goal of the Global Rare Diseases unit is to ensure equal access so as many people as possible can experience their most fulfilling life. The unit collaborates with the rare disease community around the globe to bring voice to underserved people in the health care system. UK-CHI-2500657 June 2025


Politico
4 hours ago
- Politico
Hospitals stunned by Senate GOP's Medicaid plan
Hospitals are hoping senators like West Virginia Republican Jim Justice will block a cut to their Medicaid payments. | Francis Chung/POLITICO One of the most powerful lobbies in Washington is redoubling its efforts to avoid a cut to Medicaid payments in the GOP's megabill. Hospital executives weren't happy last month when the House included a provision in its version of the bill freezing a loophole states have used to boost payments to hospitals serving the low-income patients enrolled in Medicaid. Hospitals have long enjoyed deference from lawmakers — since they both care for and employ their constituents. But they were infuriated when Senate Republicans on the Finance Committee released their version of the bill Monday. Their proposal went even further than the House measure in curtailing the ability of states to impose taxes on providers. States have used those taxes to gain a larger federal Medicaid contribution, which they have then directed back to hospitals with higher reimbursements. The Senate's proposal would lower the amount the 40 states that have expanded Medicaid under Obamacare can levy in provider taxes from 6 percent to 3.5 percent. It has hospital lobbyists painting a bleak picture of their financial prospects in a last-ditch effort to change senators' minds. 'No senator wants to be the reason their local hospital shutters its doors, and now is their opportunity to stop that from happening,' said a source familiar with hospital industry thinking, granted anonymity to speak freely on strategy. More than 250 hospital leaders flew into Washington on Tuesday to urge senators to preserve Medicaid as part of an American Hospital Association lobbying campaign. The association spent almost $8.5 million on lobbying in the first quarter of the year, a high water mark dating back almost two decades. 'There are aggressive conversations ongoing … to make sure that all senators recognize the vulnerability that it is going to potentially put all of our hospitals in,' said one stakeholder granted anonymity to speak on strategy, adding that the lobbying push will continue in the states later this week after senators depart Washington for the Juneteenth holiday. Hospitals have long gotten their way on Capitol Hill, as they don't just offer health care to a community but are sometimes its biggest employer. There are signs of encouragement this time around, too, as several influential GOP senators lodged objections to their colleagues' proposal after its release Monday. 'We've got all kinds of concerns,' Sen. Jim Justice ( who had accepted the House's language, said Tuesday. But for now, at least, anxiety is running high. The industry was able to get House Republicans to steer away from cuts to provider taxes. Instead, Republicans there installed a moratorium on any new taxes but allowed current ones to continue. Thirteen state hospital groups said they were okay with that. But the Senate went in another direction, and it has sent hospitals and their allies scrambling. 'The further the cuts that are made, the more devastating it is,' said Shantel Krebs, president and CEO of Avera St. Mary's, a hospital in South Dakota, in a call with reporters Tuesday. The Senate Finance Committee's version of the megabill keeps the moratorium in place, but only if the state is one of 10 that hasn't taken advantage of an Obamacare provision offering federal funds to expand Medicaid to cover lower-middle income people. States that have expanded Medicaid must lower their taxes to 3.5 percent. This would imperil more than 30 states and the District of Columbia that have taxes above 3.5 percent, according to data from the health care think tank KFF. The House version was palatable partly because red-state governors intervened to mitigate the impact, one hospital lobbyist said. 'I would assume there will be just a massive amount of pushback from states, and we'll see whether it moves the needle,' the person said. Hospitals are not used to losing on Capitol Hill. In recent years, they have successfully fought off efforts to lower Medicare payments for their outpatient clinics so they're in line with doctors' offices. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have criticized hospitals for getting paid more for performing the same service. Hospital groups have also successfully fought off a payment cut to safety net hospitals, which serve low-income patients, that lawmakers included in Obamacare. The cut aimed to help pay for the bill. And the Democrats who passed Obamacare in 2010 expected the Medicaid expansion would make the hospitals whole. But Congress has repeatedly passed legislation to block the cuts from taking effect at hospitals' request. Now, the industry is working against a Senate hungry for savings to pay for the megabill, the primary purpose of which is to extend the tax cuts President Donald Trump and a Republican Congress enacted in 2017. It's also up against conservatives' philosophical opposition to the state taxes. Some conservatives close to Trump have argued that states and hospitals are essentially engaged in 'money laundering' when they use provider taxes to boost federal Medicaid contributions and then send the money back to the hospitals. Brian Blase of the conservative Paragon Health Institute posted on X on Monday that even Joe Biden wanted to tackle provider taxes. 'The [Senate Finance] proposal is just a commonsense good government step to restore accountability in Medicaid and focus states on getting value from their programs,' he said. GOP dissent Senate Republicans can lose only three members and still pass the megabill if Democrats remain united in opposition. GOP leaders want to meet Trump's demand that they pass it by July 4. Hospitals listening to the tepid reaction from some in the GOP caucus to the provider tax restrictions see reason for hope. 'From the standpoint of West Virginia, I think the president outlined where he stood, and what's coming out right now could be much different, and so we've got concerns,' Justice said, referencing Trump's repeated pledge to protect Medicaid. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has largely declined to delve into specifics since the Finance Committee released its plan, but she reiterated her concerns about the provider tax language and said she's still 'asking for many changes.' The most outspoken pushback has come from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who spoke with Trump on Tuesday. Hawley told reporters that the Senate language is 'alarming' and 'surprising' and that Trump had told him he was also surprised by the language in the bill. Finance Chair Mike Crapo's decision to go further in curtailing the taxes than the House bill caught GOP senators off guard, after several indicated last week that they expected the Senate's plan would largely match the House's. The two chambers will have to agree on the bill text before Trump can sign it into law. The language Crapo settled on nets the Idaho Republican and Senate Majority Leader John Thune something they are desperately hunting: more savings. Crapo predicted that making changes to the Medicaid language would help give Republicans several hundred billion dollars to work with. Republicans can pass the bill with a simple majority if they adhere to special budget rules that require the bill not increase the deficit within a 10-year window. 'Every spending reduction that we were able to achieve was helpful in achieving the permanence,' Crapo said, referencing GOP plans to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent. The 2017 law, in order to reduce the cost of the measure, set the tax cuts to expire at the end of this year. Crapo added that he was 'not surprised' that there was pushback from his colleagues and that the Medicaid language might not be fully locked in: 'Right now, we're vetting it,' he said. One lobbyist pointed out that hospitals would be happy to make a deal. 'Right now, the Senate bill is so bad for hospitals,' the person argued, 'that if it's softened a little bit, you could … almost neutralize them.'


The Hill
7 hours ago
- The Hill
The world's only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV could stop transmission — if people can get it
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has approved the world's only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV, the first step in an anticipated global rollout that could protect millions – although it's unclear how many in the U.S. and abroad will get access to the powerful new option. While a vaccine to prevent HIV still is needed, some experts say the shot made by Gilead Sciences — a drug called lenacapavir — could be the next best thing. It nearly eliminated new infections in two groundbreaking studies of people at high risk, better than daily preventive pills they can forget to take. 'This really has the possibility of ending HIV transmission,' said Greg Millett, public policy director at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. Condoms help guard against HIV infection if used properly but what's called PrEP — regularly using preventive medicines such as the daily pills or a different shot given every two months — is increasingly important. Lenacapavir's six-month protection makes it the longest-lasting type, an option that could attract people wary of more frequent doctor visits or stigma from daily pills. But upheaval in U.S. healthcare — including cuts to public health agencies and Medicaid — and slashing of American foreign aid to fight HIV are clouding the prospects. Millett said 'gaping holes in the system' in the U.S. and globally 'are going to make it difficult for us to make sure we not only get lenacapavir into people's bodies but make sure they come back' twice a year to keep up their protection. Gilead's drug already is sold to treat HIV under the brand name Sunlenca. The prevention dose will be sold under a different name, Yeztugo. It's given as two injections under the skin of the abdomen, leaving a small 'depot' of medication to slowly absorb into the body. People must test negative for HIV before getting their twice-a-year dose, Gilead warned. It only prevents HIV transmission — it doesn't block other sexually transmitted diseases. Some researchers who helped test the shot advise cold packs to counter injection-site pain. Global efforts at ending the HIV pandemic by 2030 have stalled. There still are more than 30,000 new infections in the U.S. each year and about 1.3 million worldwide. Only about 400,000 Americans already use some form of PrEP, a fraction of those estimated to benefit. A recent study found states with high use of PrEP saw a decrease in HIV infections, while rates continued rising elsewhere. About half of new infections are in women, who often need protection they can use without a partner's knowledge or consent. One rigorous study in South Africa and Uganda compared more than 5,300 sexually active young women and teen girls given twice-yearly lenacapavir or the daily pills. There were no HIV infections in those receiving the shot while about 2% in the comparison group caught HIV from infected sex partners. A second study found the twice-yearly shot nearly as effective in gay men and gender-nonconforming people in the U.S. and in several other countries hard-hit by HIV. Ian Haddock of Houston had tried PrEP off and on since 2015 but he jumped at the chance to participate in the lenacapavir study and continues with the twice-yearly shots as part of the research follow-up. 'Now I forget that I'm on PrEP because I don't have to carry around a pill bottle,' said Haddock, who leads the Normal Anomaly Initiative, a nonprofit serving Black LGBTQ+ communities. 'Men, women, gay, straight – it really just kinds of expands the opportunity for prevention,' he added. Just remembering a clinic visit every six months 'is a powerful tool versus constantly having to talk about, like, condoms, constantly making sure you're taking your pill every day.' Gilead said the U.S. list price, meaning before insurance, is $28,218 a year, which it called similar to some other PrEP options. The company said it anticipated insurance coverage but also has some financial assistance programs. Most private insurers are supposed to cover PrEP options without a co-pay although the Supreme Court is considering a case that could overturn that requirement. Congress also is considering huge cuts to Medicaid. And while community health centers still are an option, the Trump administration has largely dismantled HIV prevention work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that would normally get the message to vulnerable populations who'd qualify for the shot, said Carl Schmid of the nonprofit HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. Schmid worries the shot won't meet its potential because 'we're basically pulling the rug out of HIV prevention and testing and outreach programs.' Gilead also has applications pending for the twice-yearly shot in other countries. Last fall, the company signed agreements with six generic drug makers to produce low-cost versions of the shot for 120 poor countries mostly in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean. Gilead plans to make enough shots to supply 2 million people in those countries, at no profit, until the generics are available, said company senior vice president Dr. Jared Baeten. Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, said in a statement the price is still too high. If it's unaffordable, she said, 'it will change nothing.' And HIV experts worry the arrangements Gilead has made to reduce costs in some countries leave out middle-income countries like some in Latin America. 'Everyone in every country who's at risk of HIV needs access to PrEP,' said Dr. Gordon Crofoot of Houston, who helped lead the study in men. 'We need to get easier access to PrEP that's highly effective like this is.' ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.