medZERO adds Salt & Straw, Leatherman and two nonprofits as employer demand grows

medZERO said July 23, 2026, that Salt & Straw, Leatherman Tool Company, Easterseals Louisiana and Goodwill Industries of Kansas have joined its healthcare financial wellness platform. The expansion underscores rising employer interest in benefits that help workers cover out-of-pocket care costs without changing existing health plans.

Why it matters: - Rising out-of-pocket healthcare costs are leaving insured workers unable to use the care their plans cover. - Employers are treating that affordability gap as a workforce performance issue, not just a benefits issue. - medZERO’s model aims to reduce skipped care, financial stress and the productivity losses tied to both.

What happened: - medZERO announced new employer clients Salt & Straw, Leatherman Tool Company, Easterseals Louisiana and Goodwill Industries of Kansas on July 23, 2026. - The company said the additions reflect broader adoption across hospitality, manufacturing, nonprofit and other sectors. - medZERO also said it was recently named a Preferred Partner in ASHHRA’s AP3 program.

The details: - Salt & Straw selected medZERO for its multi-state workforce to help employees access care without paying a deductible or co-pay out of pocket. - Leatherman Tool Group extended medZERO to its workforce as part of its employee wellbeing efforts. - Easterseals Louisiana and Goodwill Industries of Kansas joined the platform to expand affordable access to healthcare for their combined membership bases. - medZERO’s spending account gives employees on-demand access to funds for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. - The account requires no credit check and charges no fees. - Employers do not have to change existing plan design. - Employers also carry no financial risk for unpaid balances. - For users with Health Savings Accounts, medZERO payments are pre-tax and can save up to 30%. - medZERO works with any health plan, any provider and any HSA. - The company says employees can repay through ACH or payroll deduction. - Craig Froude, medZERO’s CEO, said employers are increasingly recognizing the gap between insurance coverage and actual care affordability as a problem benefits strategy should address. - Leatherman Vice President of Human Resources Kimberley Posey said offering medZERO is one way the company shows commitment to employees’ wellbeing beyond the factory. - medZERO said its broader employer base now spans hospitality, manufacturing, technology, financial services, healthcare and the nonprofit sector. - The company said its product roadmap is expanding into coverage areas where employees face the greatest financial exposure.

Between the lines: - The new clients broaden medZERO’s footprint across very different employer types, which suggests the affordability problem is not limited to one industry or workforce model. - The ASHHRA partnership adds outside validation at a moment when healthcare employers are among the workers most exposed to out-of-pocket costs. - The pitch is straightforward: if employees cannot afford care at the point of service, traditional benefits leave a gap.

What's next: - medZERO said it is entering the second half of 2026 with its broadest employer base to date. - The company plans to keep expanding into benefit categories where workers face the highest financial exposure. - medZERO says its mission remains focused on making healthcare more accessible, affordable and equitable as out-of-pocket costs stay elevated.

The bottom line: - Employer demand for financial wellness benefits is broadening, and medZERO is positioning its spending account as a low-friction way to close the gap between coverage and care.