UPMC Partnership Expands Chronic Disease Medication Adherence

“UPMC Health Plan and Sempre Health’s medication adherence collaboration has expanded its chronic disease management benefits to include diabetes medicines for members of UPMC’s employer-sponsored health plans.

Since the program’s launch in 2017, members have collectively saved over $500,000 on cardiovascular medications, with the average member saving $33 per prescription refill through SMS message discounts.

[..] In the first year of the partnership, the program successfully enrolled more than one-third of eligible members. Improvements in cardiovascular medication adherence for these members was significant when compared to a control group. Now, UPMC is expanding the program to diabetic members in order to continue their focus on chronic disease management.

[..] Nearly one-third of American patients reported that they have not taken their medicine as prescribed due to costs. Under UPMC Health Plan’s program, members receive incentives for adhering to their medications. Every time participating members fill their eligible prescriptions on time, they receive a copayment discount.

“Patients who consistently follow their doctor’s orders by filling their prescriptions on time and taking their medications as prescribed are rewarded with Sempre’s dynamic discounts on their copay—amounting to a ‘good driver discount’ for healthcare,” said Anurati Mathur, CEO of Sempre Health.”

Full article, Nelson H. Health Payer Intelligence, 2020.11.20