ORANGE, Calif. — Alignment Health Plan, a national Medicare Advantage health plan from Alignment Healthcare, and Rite Aid have signed an agreement to offer a new co-branded Medicare Advantage product that will be available in six Southern California markets beginning Jan. 1, 2022, reaching approximately 3.6 million Medicare-eligible residents, pending regulatory approvals.

“Alignment Healthcare is committed to finding partners who will put our seniors’ needs first, and we’re proud to join forces with Rite Aid, one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains, to allow us to continue delivering on that commitment,” said Dawn Maroney, president, markets, Alignment Healthcare.

Members who enroll in this Medicare Advantage product will also receive Alignment’s ACCESS On-Demand Concierge “black card,” which can be used as a pre-paid credit card to purchase eligible over-the-counter items at Rite Aid. Other black card perks include access to a dedicated concierge team available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer health-related questions, schedule medical appointments and arrange transportation.

“At Rite Aid, we want to connect patients to the care they need to help them achieve whole health and thrive,” said Jim Peters, chief operating officer, Rite Aid. “Providing easy, convenient access and ultimately lowering health care costs is a key part of our strategy, and we are excited to offer this new option with Alignment Health Plan to our Medicare-eligible customers in Southern California.”

Rite Aid has more than 2,500 locations across 17 states.

“Today’s seniors need – and deserve – immediate and easy access to care,” said John Kao, founder and CEO, Alignment Healthcare. “As we continue to expand our offerings to seniors nationwide, we are looking forward to working with Rite Aid to provide our members with more choices because, in health care, we know one size doesn’t fit all.”