When patients consistently take medications as prescribed and correctly follow guidelines on dosages, timing and frequency.
What is medication adherence?
Why it matters to plan sponsors:
Higher adherence rates = better outcomes and lower premium costs
What’s at stake when members don’t follow doctor’s orders?
- Higher hospital readmissions1
- Lower patient satisfaction scores
- Reduced plan reimbursement
Common barriers to medication adherence:
- Cost of prescriptions or services
- Confusion about instructions
- Fear of side effects
How Humana supports medication adherence:
- Providing retirees with access to educational materials
- Offering plans with wellness programs like SilverSneakers®
- Providing access to retail or mail-order pharmacies like CenterWell Pharmacy®
$100 billion—$300
billion:
Estimated annual cost of nonadherence in additional emergency visits, hospitalizations and other complications.2
In 2023, patients who filled prescriptions at CenterWell Pharmacy® had an average
3.3% increase
in Stars medication-adherence measure pass rates compared to non-CenterWell pharmacies.3
Members with 90-day supplies had a
15% higher
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) medication adherence compliance rate compared to members with 30-day supplies.3
Sources:
- N. Schonenberger and C. Meyer-Massetti, “Risk Factors for Medication-Related Short-Term Readmissions in Adults – A Scoping Review,” BMC Health Services Research, last accessed August 11, 2025.
- “Medication Adherence: Taking Your Meds as Directed,”American Heart Association, n.d., accessed March 13, 2025.
- “Medication adherence: Calculations and measure goals,” Humana Pharmacy Analytics Data through December 31, 2023, refreshed on March 21, 2024, last accessed August 11, 2025.
To learn more, visit Humana Group
Medicare
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