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Walmart and SCAN Health Plan announced a partnership to offer co-branded Medicare Advantage plans in two states, targeting over two million Medicare enrollees. The plans, pending regulatory approval, may include pharmacy, vision, food, and over-the-counter benefits. A central feature is Walmart's Everyday Health Signals platform, an AI tool providing personalised nutrition and wellness guidance based on members' shopping preferences and self-reported goals. Walmart launched its licensed insurance agency in 2020. SCAN Group is a nonprofit organisation serving nearly 460,000 members across six states. The deal follows a similar partnership between SCAN and Costco Wholesale to sell Costco-branded Medicare plans. The companies did not disclose financial terms.

Costco is launching Medicare plans for seniors - here's what to know. A new partnership could simplify health care for seniors. Updated Sept. 16, 2026 Fact checked Medicare, or government-administered health care for retirees, is an essential cost-saving component of any retirement plan. Choosing the right Medicare plan can have a major impact on your quality of life once you leave the workforce, but the sign-up process is notoriously confusing. However, help might be coming from an unexpected source: Costco. A recently announced partnership between the wholesale retailer and SCAN Health Plan, a non-profit Medicare Advantage provider, intends to make senior health care easier to navigate. Keep reading to see what Costco and SCAN Health Plan have in mind and learn how it could impact your future health care plans. Get a protection plan on all your appliances Did you know if your air conditioner stops working, your homeowner's insurance won't cover it? Same with plumbing, electrical issues, appliances, and more. A home warranty from Choice Home Warranty could pick up the slack where insurance falls short. For a limited time, you can get your first month free with a Single Payment home warranty plan. What is Medicare Advantage? To understand what Costco and SCAN have planned, you need to be clear on the difference between Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare. Original Medicare, or Medicare Parts A and B, is run by the federal government. Part A covers inpatient hospital services while Part B covers more routine health care costs, like outpatient care. Some Medicare beneficiaries purchase Medigap plans, which help cover the costs of additional health care needs. Medicare Advantage, or Medicare Part C, offers the same benefits as Original Medicare, but the plan is administered by a private insurance company rather than the government. How is Costco moving into the Medicare space? Costco isn't an insurance company, and it isn't about to offer its own Medicare Advantage plan. Until this point, its only tie to Medicare has been accepting Medicare Advantage Prepaid Benefits Cards, which can make shopping for over-the-counter prescriptions, medical supplies, and glasses a little easier. But now, Costco and SCAN Health Plan (a non-profit Medicare Advantage plan provider) are working together to create senior-centric products and services. The two brands say they intend to make Medicare benefits easier for seniors to navigate, and their co-branded health care plans will include both Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans. What products could Costco and SCAN co-develop? While there aren't many product specifics in SCAN's partnership announcement, SCAN's site says some beneficiaries might be able to pay for Costco Optical services with a prepaid card, and some plans will include Costco as a preferred pharmacy. SCAN and Costco's press release also mentioned the possibility of a "re-invented pharmacy experience" and potential "Medflex over-the-counter benefits." If you're over 50, take advantage of massive discounts and financial resources Over 50? Join AARP today - because if you're not a member you could be missing out on huge perks. When you start your membership today, you can get discounts on things like travel, meal deliveries, eyeglasses, prescriptions that aren't covered by insurance and more. Start your membership by creating an account here and filling in all of the information (Do not skip this step!) Doing so will allow you to take up to 25% off your AARP membership, making it just $15 the first year with auto-renewal. You May Also Like Is this new plan already available? Although Costco and SCAN announced their partnership in mid-August of 2026, their co-branded plan still hasn't been officially approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Plus, while FinanceBuzz know the companies will roll out Medicare Advantage plans in two states and a Medigap plan in one state, FinanceBuzz don't yet know which states will be first in line. It's worth noting that SCAN Health Plan operates in Washington, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, California, and Arizona, and that SCAN and Costco believe their first phase rollout will reach a market of five million eligible seniors. Per federal law, Costco and SCAN won't be able to tie their co-branded Medicare Advantage plans to a Costco membership. Just like anyone can pick up prescriptions at a Costco pharmacy, even people who aren't Costco members, anyone can sign up for a SCAN and Costco Medicare Advantage plan. Still, you'll likely benefit more from the plan if you're a Costco member. Non-members can't purchase non-pharmacy items at normal registers or get member-only discounts on products or services. What are the potential benefits of a Costco co-branded Medicare plan? A full 63% of Costco shoppers are Baby Boomers or Gen Xers, the two generations with members who are eligible for health care. These shoppers are already familiar with Costco and are presumably fans of its pricing model, and that familiarity could make transitioning to Medicare feel less intimidating or overwhelming. Plus, Costco houses a pharmacy, eye clinic, and hearing clinic within the same warehouse space. A Medicare Advantage plan with Costco benefits could make it easier to access all three services, making well-rounded health care easy, affordable, and convenient (at least, for Costco shoppers). Why is this partnership happening now? Medicare Advantage enrollment started out small, but now, more than half of American Medicare beneficiaries opt for Medicare Advantage over Original Medicare. That trend is likely to continue, with 63% of eligible Americans opting for Medicare Advantage by 2034. As Gen Xers start to hit retirement age, more and more people will sign up for Medicare, potentially straining the system and making privatized alternatives like Medicare Advantage more appealing. The expanding market gives more companies opportunities to offer competitive plans, even non-health care companies like Costco. Bottom line. Wondering if a Costco-branded Medicare Advantage plan could help you save money in retirement? It's possible, but you'll have to wait for plan pricing information to come out before making a decision. Sure, Costco can be a great place to save on groceries, you can't assume you'll naturally get similar savings on health insurance. Instead, do the research yourself. Whether you're signing up for Medicare for the first time or preparing for the next open enrollment period, do your due diligence in thoroughly comparing each plan's premiums, out-of-pocket costs, deductibles, benefits, and drug formularies. If Costco's plan saves you money, excellent - but if it doesn't, don't let brand loyalty sway you away from your retirement plan. AARP Benefits * Huge discounts on travel, groceries, prescriptions and more * Access to financial planning resources and health tools * Join AARP and get 25% off with automatic renewal Subscribe Today Learn how to make an extra $200. Get vetted side hustles and proven ways to earn extra cash sent to your inbox.

Walmart revives its joint Medicare Advantage strategy with Scan team-up. The news: Walmart and health insurer Scan Health Plan are launching a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan in two states. The plan will be available to more than two million Medicare enrollees and sold during the annual enrollment period starting later this fall, with coverage beginning January 1, 2027. Offerings are expected to include pharmacy and vision services, food, and over-the-counter benefits. The plan is still pending regulatory review and approval. Zooming out: Walmart is reviving a strategy it previously retired. It offered a co-branded Medicare plan and preventive care for adults 65 and older with UnitedHealth Group, but ended the arrangement in 2024 when it abandoned its broader Walmart Health clinic strategy. A handful of other retailers are exploring this path: * Costco announced a nearly identical arrangement with Scan last month, covering two Medicare Advantage plans and a Medicare supplement across roughly 5 million enrollees. * Walgreens offers a co-branded plan with Alignment Health, while Kroger offers Medicare Advantage plans with Elevance, Priority Health, and Select Health. Why it matters: The tie-up offers potential benefits for both sides, even as its scale remains limited to only a few regions for now. Scan's pitch mirrors its Costco deal: partner with a retail brand that already sees older shoppers regularly and has an established, trusted reputation built around affordability and value. Walmart's strong reach among shoppers 65 and older could give the plan credibility as seniors compare often-confusing premiums, copays, and benefits across plans. Scan also hopes members will use Walmart's recently beefed-up health offerings, which include a digital health network connecting patients to telehealth and discounted wellness products, as well as an AI-powered nutrition hub that provides personalized grocery and recipe recommendations. Using Walmart shopper data to guide members toward preventive care and healthier choices could reduce avoidable medical costs for the plan. For Walmart specifically, the collaboration could build loyalty among Medicare members by connecting insurance benefits with familiar, convenient places to fill prescriptions and purchase other items. It could also drive repeat visits if Scan members use their OTC and food allowances in Walmart stores. Implications for retailers and health insurers: Walmart's previous Medicare plan with UnitedHealth relied on in-network clinicians treating members at Walmart Health clinics. That plan was wound down as Walmart closed the clinics amid high operating costs and reimbursement challenges. The Scan partnership offers a path to healthcare growth without the expense and complexity of owning and managing physical care sites. Success in this new path would show that retailers can drive plan enrollment and influence member behavior between doctor visits. Conversely, a weak rollout would suggest that brand recognition and reach cannot compensate for longstanding health insurance shortcomings such as high out-of-pocket costs, narrow provider networks, or limited coverage. This content is part of EMARKETER's subscription Briefings, where EMARKETER Inc. pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Its Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what's happening in your industry. Not a subscriber? Click here to get a demo of its full platform and coverage. You've read 1 of 2 free articles this month. Get more articles - create your free account today!