NIH Partners with WellCare and Wellth for New Program that Rewards New York Medicaid Members for Managing Hypertension

NEW YORK and TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 8, 2020

Through the partnership, WellCare and Wellth aim to enroll at least 200 participants who are currently prescribed medication for hypertension. Using the Wellth smartphone app, members enrolled in the program are reminded to take their medications each day, and certain members are eligible to earn financial rewards in the form of gift cards for adopting healthy behaviors such as low-sodium diets and adhering to their daily prescription drug regimens.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates non-adherence causes 30 to 50% of chronic disease treatment failures and more than 125,000 deaths in the United States each year," said Dr. Richard Petrucci, WellCare's chief medical officer in New York. "At WellCare, we're honored to work with the NIH and to partner with Wellth to help our members address their hypertension, adhere to their care plans, and improve their overall health and well-being."

"We are excited to partner with WellCare to help motivate and incentivize Medicaid members in New York to adopt healthier behaviors to better manage their hypertension," said Matt Loper, CEO of Wellth. "Ultimately, we hope these behaviors will stick, leading to higher engagement, better health outcomes and lower costs."

The program, which was co-designed by behavioral economist Uri Gneezy and doctoral candidate Alicea Lieberman, runs through August 2020. Upon program completion, NIH, which is funding the program, will review all program results. Study outcomes will provide a better understanding of how mental accounting and targeted financial incentives that leverage behavioral economics can be used to design effective adherence interventions.

"We are honored for the opportunity to partner in this innovative program to support adherence to member hypertension care plans," said Angel Ballew, vice president, pharmacy clinical programs. "We hope this program will give insight into additional opportunities for us to start using behavioral economics to a greater extent to motivate members' adherence to their daily health regimens."