STAR RATINGS ALERT: 19% of MA Beneficiaries Forget to Take Medications

With Drug Adherence Given Triple Weight Among Star Ratings Measures, 19 Percent of Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries Forget to Take Medications

Nineteen percent of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries said that they forget to take prescribed medications; of those, 24 percent said they forget at least once per week. 

Fifteen percent of respondents noted that a reminder system would help them with adherence. The survey results are based on a 2018 survey of 781 Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with at least one chronic condition conducted by Health Action as a Service company, HealthMine.

​For Medicare Advantage plans, drug adherence is a key factor in Star ratings. Star Ratings have been created to measure the performance of Medicare plans. These ratings include three measures of drug adherence targeting chronic disease: 1) Medication Adherence for Diabetes Medications, 2) Medication Adherence for Hypertension, 3) Medication Adherence for Cholesterol. This is indicated in the CMS, Medicare 2019 Part C & D Star Ratings Technical Notes, updated 11/08/2018, page 100. Those measures are given triple weight among all Star Ratings measures. 

The results are in line with a 2014 study of 586 Medicare beneficiaries entitled: Medication adherence behaviors of Medicare beneficiaries. It was conducted with the approval of the Institutional Review Board of the University of the Pacific. The study revealed 30 percent were non-adherent. The following reasons were provided: 73 percent, forgetfulness; 11 percent, side effects; 10 percent, the medication was not needed. Lower adherence rates were also associated with difficulty paying for medication, presence of a medication-related problem, and certain symptomatic chronic conditions. 

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