HANDSFREE HEALTH&apos;S DIGITAL HEALTH TOOL IMPROVES MEDICARE STAR RATINGS AND DELIVERS HIGH ROI PER HEALTH PLAN MEMBER

HANDSFREE HEALTH'S DIGITAL HEALTH TOOL IMPROVES MEDICARE STAR RATINGS AND DELIVERS HIGH ROI PER HEALTH PLAN MEMBER

PR Newswire

WAYNE, Pa., April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HandsFree Health™, provider of WellBe®, a secure, HIPAA compliant, voice-enabled virtual health assistant platform, today announced their popular HFH GO Digital Health Tool can impact 16 of the measurements used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to determine Medicare Star Ratings. The mobile app also improves risk adjustment for new members and delivers industry-leading return on investment (ROI) for compliant members suffering from a chronic disease.

HFH GO mobile app can impact 16 measurements used by CMS to determine Medicare Star Ratings.

"It's exciting to see what a positive impact our digital health tool can have for a Medicare Advantage Plan," said Janice Washeleski, Chief Commercial Marketing and Sales Officer at HandsFree Health. "We not only drastically improve a plan's performance and engagement, but we do so in a way that requires minimal IT support making our service completely turn-key and affordable."

The Star Rating system supports CMS's efforts to empower people to make healthcare decisions that are best for them. This year, CMS made changes to the system to emphasize the customer experience, which is where HandsFree Health can deliver enhanced healthcare support. The HandsFree Health Platform delivers a wide range of health features focused on compliance, adherence, and an improved customer experience. Star rating impacts are seen across 16 of the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) measurements including medication reminders, appointment reminders, customer experience improvements, and engagement. Our voice-enabled services make accessing the HFH GO Digital Health Tool a reality for those who are visually impaired or disabled, allowing Medicare Advantage Plans to support their underserved populations, and improving star ratings. A .5 star rating increase, for plans that are rated 3.5 or higher, can mean millions of dollars in additional revenue for a plan, including the opportunity for bonus payments and potentially higher rebates, often resulting in a 15-20% increase in plan revenue.

The HFH Go Digital Health Tool also helps Medicare Advantage Plans with risk adjustment for new members by quickly and easily identifying comorbidities. The HFH Go mobile app gathers data on new members such as medications, specialty physicians, and medical history, making it possible to identify the presence of two or more diseases without the use of claims data. This early detection can help Medicare Advantage Plans realize a 20-30% increase in premium reimbursement for each identified comorbidity. Beyond the positive financial impact of an increased star rating and premium reimbursements, ROI is calculated by the healthcare savings for compliant members. Members with a chronic disease like diabetes who become compliant with medications can realize a $6,000.00 annual savings for a health plan.

"The HFH GO Digital Health Tool was designed with health plans in mind to help improve star ratings through an easy-to-use mobile app for plan members," said Mike Cardillo, CEO, and Co-Founder of HandsFree Health. "Our teams' decades-long experience running national health insurers provides us unique insights into the needs of health plans, and we designed a tool to address some of the most common gaps in care."

HandsFree Health's HIPAA compliant platform leverages Microsoft technologies to provide a completely integrated approach to healthcare. The voice-enabled platform provides members access to information about their healthcare and to health answers, the ability to call their doctor, upload reading from hundreds of connected medical devices, and control their home environment using just their voice. The HandsFree Health Digital Health Tool is available on iOS and Android.

About HandsFree Health™

HandsFree Health™ offers a suite of products for consumers and businesses to move individuals closer to compliance and optimal health. HandsFree Health makes intelligently designed, fully integrated health and wellness platforms. HandsFree Health has quickly become the benchmark for voice technology in healthcare. HandsFree Health is the creator of WellBe®, the premier voice-enabled virtual health AI assistant platform. WellBe is a secure voice-activated assistant, built on a trusted, HIPAA compliant platform. Products are sold online at HandsFree Health, as well as other online retailers including Walmart.com, Amazon.com, and RiteAid.com.