Payer Minimizes Member Healthcare Spending With Health Rewards

Ambetter, a health insurance product from Centene Corporation, has reduced out-of-pocket healthcare spending by collectively giving members millions of dollars in rewards through their My Health Pays program.

The program, which incentivizes healthy habits such as visiting the doctor, eating well, and exercising, allows members to earn up to $500 in rewards. Hundreds of thousands of members have taken advantage of this opportunity to minimize healthcare spending.

"Our goal is to empower our members to care for their whole self, and through the My Health Pays program, members are encouraged to participate in healthy activities," said Michael F. Neidorff, chairman, president, and CEO of Centene.

"Not only are members making healthy decisions, they're being rewarded for doing so,” Neidorff continued. “We're proud to support our members in taking action and making decisions that will help them and their families stay healthy."

Through the program, Ambetter members earn reward points when using their health insurance for fulfilling medical appointments and reaching personalized health goals. Over the past year, members' top activities supported by the My Health Pays program were completing a wellness visit, filling out a wellbeing survey, and participating in health activities through the My Health Pays portal.

Members can use reward points to shop for items in the My Health Pays Rewards Online Store, or they can be converted into dollars to pay for healthcare costs such as monthly premium payments, copays, deductibles, and coinsurance.

The program, which has been utilized by hundreds of thousands of members, also provides resources and videos to educate members on ways to practice healthy lifestyles.

In addition to My Health Pays, Ambetter is introducing a new partnership with Abenity that will help members’ budgets go further and minimize out-of-pocket healthcare spending. Members will be able to browse a curated online platform to save money on health-related expenses and receive discounts on a variety of products and services.

Other payers have launched programs that are similar to Ambetter’s My Health Pays in order to address the economic fallout that has come from COVID-19. In August, Cigna launched the Cigna Care Card which operates as a debit card and allows employers to provide extra financial support to their employees during the pandemic.

“We are committed to supporting our clients and customers during this unprecedented situation, ensuring that affordable benefit solutions are in place to provide valuable access to prescriptions, office visits, and behavioral care,” said Julie McCarter, vice president of US solutions at Cigna, at the time of the program’s announcement.

“Together with our clients we can offer a softer landing for people who are facing financial hardship so they can come out of the crisis healthy and resilient,” McCarter continued.

As furloughs and unemployment have soared since the onset of COVID-19, more Americans are struggling to make bill payments. Cigna’s new product allows employers to address the financial concerns their workers may be experiencing.

Employers can pre-load money on the Cigna Care Card for employees to use for qualified payments. Employees do not have to pay taxes on the funds and the contribution is completely tax deductible for employers.

While the funds can be used towards healthcare payments, they are not restricted for medical purposes. Instead, employees can use the Cigna Care Card to pay for certain qualified expenses such as childcare, wellness services, and groceries, allowing employers to help address a variety of social determinants of health needs during the pandemic.

Another payer working to address COVID-19 related financial burdens is Priority Health in Michigan. By drawing from the surplus of funds that would normally go toward nonessential health services, the payer is able to offer premium credits and cost-sharing waivers for members in communities most effected by the pandemic.