5 Ways Health Plans Increase Revenue With At-Home Diagnostic Testing

At-home diagnostics are a remote tool to connect patients to care outside a clinical setting. Health plans can use at-home diagnostic testing to save on costs and increase revenue. In addition to boosting HEDIS and Star Ratings with targeted verticals, at-home diagnostics can help plans detect conditions early, enhance medication adherence, optimize resources, and leverage data to achieve cost efficiencies. 

1. Enhance Patient Engagement and Medication Adherence 

Health plans can utilize at-home diagnostics to better incorporate members into an active healthcare journey without burdening them. At-home diagnostic testing enables patients to monitor health parameters conveniently from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the need for frequent clinic visits. Through the early detection of health issues, at-home diagnostics encourage proactive healthcare management, leading to better health outcomes. 

At-home diagnostics can also increase medication adherence for patients. Patients are more likely to adhere to their care plans when they have easy access to diagnostic tools and receive timely feedback on their health status. Improved adherence translates into better disease management, reduced hospitalizations, and lower healthcare costs in the long run. Medication adherence for certain medications will also boost quality ratings like HEDIS and Medicare Star. 

2. Facilitate Early Detection and Intervention

Early detection is key to effectively managing chronic conditions and preventing disease progression. At-home diagnostic tests play a crucial role in facilitating early detection by providing timely insights into changes in health metrics. For example, at-home diagnostics can screen for colorectal cancer when health plans send FIT kits sent to member homes. By detecting health issues at an early stage, providers can intervene promptly, preventing complications and reducing the need for costly interventions such as emergency room visits or hospitalizations. This proactive approach not only improves patient outcomes but also contributes to cost savings for health plans by avoiding expensive healthcare services.

Schedule a time to talk with Ash Wellness about at-home FIT kits for colorectal cancer screening. 

‍3. Optimize Resource Utilization and Cost Efficiency

At-home diagnostics offer health plans an opportunity to optimize resources and achieve cost efficiencies across the healthcare continuum. By monitoring patients' health status, providers can prioritize interventions based on clinical urgency, allocating resources more effectively. Patients with stable conditions may require less frequent in-person visits, freeing up resources to focus on high-risk individuals who need closer monitoring and intervention. Additionally, remote monitoring allows for timely adjustments to treatment plans, potentially reducing the need for expensive medication adjustments or invasive procedures. By addressing health issues before they escalate, health plans can avoid costly hospitalizations and emergency department visits, leading to significant cost savings. 

4. Leverage Data for Predictive Analytics and Population Health Management

The data generated by at-home diagnostic testing can provide valuable insights that can be leveraged for predictive analytics and population health management. By analyzing trends and patterns in health data, health plans can identify high-risk populations and implement targeted interventions to improve outcomes and reduce costs. Moreover, at-home diagnostics enable health plans to track population health metrics in real time, allowing for proactive management of chronic diseases and population health initiatives. By identifying areas of concern early on, health plans can implement preventive strategies and allocate resources strategically to address the needs of their members effectively.

Chat with Ash Wellness about our data-first at-home diagnostic testing platform. 

5. Boost HEDIS and Star Ratings 

At-home diagnostic testing programs can support HEDIS and Star measures, improving overall scores to attract members and win federal bonus payments. Here are some verticals at-home testing supports that correspond to quality measures: 

• Colorectal cancer: Healthcare plans have the option to implement screening initiatives aimed at individuals aged 50–75 through the distribution of at-home FIT kits via mail. Achieving high rates of kit returns enables plans to fulfill the yearly fecal occult blood test mandate for HEDIS. 
• Diabetes: HEDIS guidelines advocate for providers to document the date and outcome of HbA1c tests. Medicare Star Ratings similarly emphasize diabetes care, assessing the percentage of diabetic plan members screened for HbA1c annually to ensure their average blood sugar levels are below 9%. 
• Chlamydia: HEDIS contains a measure which assesses chlamydia screening coverage of sexually active young women who receive medical care through commercial or Medicaid managed care organizations.

How Ash Wellness Supports Health Plans With At-Home Testing 

Ash Wellness helps health plans harness the advantages of at-home diagnostic testing to improve member care and achieve better outcomes. We facilitate the early identification of health issues, ultimately reducing long-term care expenses for both patients and health plans. Furthermore, at-home testing fosters increased patient involvement, leading to improved adherence to treatment plans and healthier lifestyle choices. This contributes to elevated quality scores for health plans.

Our comprehensive at-home testing solution encompasses a range of services, including customizable API-first and white-label platforms, kitting services, provider network management, lab contracting, and testing. With a steadfast commitment to data security, privacy, and seamless integration with existing healthcare infrastructures, Ash Wellness stands as the ideal partner for health plans looking to implement at-home diagnostic testing successfully.

Conclusion on At-Home Diagnostic Testing for Health Plans 

The integration of at-home diagnostic testing into healthcare plans offers benefits that extend beyond traditional healthcare delivery models. Testing enhances patient engagement and medication adherence, facilitates early detection and intervention, optimizes resource utilization and cost efficiency, leverages data for predictive analytics and population health management, and boosts quality ratings such as HEDIS and Star measures.