The Clinical and Financial Impact of Sustained Annual Wellness Visit Engagement in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Medicare Advantage Population

OBJECTIVES: Annual wellness visits help to prevent and detect diseases early and support Medicare Advantage star rating measures. The study analyzed how Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) engagement affects healthcare utilization and costs in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) Medicare Advantage population.

METHODS: Researchers assessed three years of claims for BCBSLA Medicare Advantage members with and without sustained AWV engagement from January 2019 to December 2021 in two analyses. The first evaluates improved engagement, where all members included have no AWV engagement in 2019. The control cohort includes members with no AWV engagement in the following two years, and the treatment cohort includes members who completed AWVs in the following two years. The second analysis evaluates continued engagement, where all members included have AWV engagement in 2019. The control cohort includes members who discontinue AWV engagement in the following two years, and the treatment cohort includes members who continued AWV engagement into the following two years. Each treatment cohort was matched to the control on demographics, risk scores, comorbidities, and claim history. Researchers conducted difference-in-difference analyses using generalized linear models with Poisson and gamma distribution on utilization and cost, respectively.

RESULTS: The results indicate that members who have sustained engagement with AWVs have fewer emergency department (ED) visits, fewer acute inpatient admissions, and lower medical costs. In the analysis evaluating engagement improvement, there was a medical cost savings of 15 percent in both the first and second years of AWV completion. In the analysis evaluating continued engagement, there is a 10 percent savings in the second year of AWV completion and a significant savings of 35 percent in the third year of AWV completion.

CONCLUSIONS: Researchers observed BCBSLA Medicare Advantage members with sustained AWV engagement have fewer ED visits, fewer acute inpatient admissions, and lower medical costs.