Medication Adherence: Tackling a $500 BLN Healthcare Challenge with Behavioral Science & Innovation

Welcome to The Healthcare STARcast! In this episode, host Subbu Ramalingam sits down with Kempton Presley, CEO of Adhere Health, to dive deep into one of healthcare’s most persistent and costly challenges: medication adherence. Affecting half of all Americans with chronic conditions and costing the system over $500 billion annually, medication nonadherence is more than just a public health problem, it’s a personal and global issue that directly shapes Medicare Advantage Star Ratings and the competitive landscape for health plans.Together, Subbu Ramalingam and Kempton Presley explore why adherence remains so elusive, the complex web of stakeholders involved, and the real-world impact on patient outcomes and plan economics. They discuss the evolving regulatory environment, the importance of aligning incentives, and how emerging behavioral science and data-driven solutions are making measurable improvements. If you want to understand what’s at stake, how health plans can bend the cost curve, and what the future of medication adherence could look like, especially as AI and predictive analytics enter the mix, this conversation is for you.Tune in for practical insights, plan success stories, and an honest look at how healthcare leaders can drive momentum and lasting change in medication adherence.Timestamps:00:00 Medicare, Medicaid & Adhere Leadership04:23 "Healthcare Innovation and Human Behavior"08:32 Medication Adherence Impacts Healthcare Ratings12:27 Patient-Pharmacy Communication Challenges16:28 Medication Management Impacts Over Time17:57 Bending Industry Cost Curve21:41 "Behavioral Science & Medication Adherence"25:22 "Personalized Member Connection Strategies"30:27 "Connecting and Engaging with Members"32:45 Improving Healthcare Outcomes Together37:05 "AI, Teamwork, and Human Connection"41:14 "Adapting to Market Shifts"42:01 "Future of Care and Technology"45:20 RISE Conference & Networking PlansShow Website - https://healthcarestarcast.com/Subbu Ramalingam - Show Host - Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/subburamalingam/FloWise Leadership - https://flowiseleadership.com/ViVega Business Services - https://www.vivega.co/ATTAC Consulting Group - https://www.attacconsulting.com/Media Partner - TopHealth - https://tophealth.care/“Disclaimer: Informational only. Not medical advice. Consult your doctor for guidance.”