Hyphen, Healthfirst Collaboration to Empower Pharmacists’ Role in Value-Based Care Receives 2024 Points of Light Award from KLAS Research

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hyphen, the technology company creating connected-care, has received a 2024 Points of Light Award from KLAS Research, the leading healthcare research and insights firm, for its efforts to improve payer-provider collaboration in support of improved outcomes in value-based care with Healthfirst, a non-profit health plan serving close to 2 million New Yorkers.

KLAS recognized Hyphen’s Pharmacy Assistant application, which supports Healthfirst’s Pharmacy Incentive Program. The program is designed to empower community pharmacists within Healthfirst’s network to take action to improve medication adherence rates, increase members’ understanding of their health plan benefits, and get compensated for those actions. This program is especially impactful because 80% of Medicare Advantage members in New York visit their community pharmacy 5-10 times annually — more than they visit their primary care doctor.

The Pharmacy Assistant application connects disparate data sources and delivers real-time, actionable information in pharmacists’ existing workflows so they can close care gaps.

“We are pleased to receive recognition from KLAS for our commitment to assisting the community pharmacists that Healthfirst members know and trust to support their complex care journeys,” said Suzanne Wogelius, Vice President of Product and Growth, Hyphen. “Addressing medication adherence is critical for improving clinical outcomes for members and financial outcomes for mission-driven health plans such as Healthfirst.”

Hyphen developed the Pharmacy Assistant application through a partnership with the Healthfirst Pharmacy Services team and PrimeRX/Micro Merchant Systems, a vendor of the PrimeRX and PrimePOS software used by more than 40% of independent pharmacists in the New York City area and utilized in 72% of interactions between community pharmacies and Healthfirst’s Medicare members.

Through the Pharmacy Incentive Program, community-based pharmacists receive financial rewards when they take action to improve Healthfirst members’ health such as providing outreach to refill prescriptions, switching prescriptions to 90-day supply, and educating members about their health insurance benefits.

To date, 250 pharmacies serving Healthfirst Medicare members have implemented the program, which has a goal of expanding to 400 pharmacies by the end of 2024. Key outcomes from the collaboration:

• 98% adoption of Pharmacy Assistant
• Over 18,600 Healthfirst members with completed activities by community pharmacists
• An up to 2.1% increase in medication adherence rates for pharmacies using Pharmacy Assistant (compared to the overall Healthfirst average)
• 10,959 prescriptions converted from 30-day to 90-day refills
• Over 1,000 members used a solution to help them align with the right benefits plan and receive financial assistance

Wogelius and GT Sweeney, Healthfirst’s Chief Information Officer, presented the Hyphen case study at the K2 Collaboration Summit on May 14-15 in Salt Lake City. The event, hosted by KLAS, highlighted successful payer-provider collaboration initiatives to eliminate financial and administrative waste and improve the patient experience.

About Hyphen

Hyphen is a healthcare technology company that makes it easy for health plans, providers and community organizations to share data and work together to deliver connected-care. The composable Hyphen platform is payer agnostic and uses real-time FHIR-based integration to enable access to critical information when and where it’s needed most — so all healthcare stakeholders can align care coordination efforts around the patient. As a subsidiary of HF Management Services, LLC, Hyphen was built with deep experience in value-based care, a focus on health equity, and a steadfast commitment to ensuring value flows in ways that benefit the whole healthcare system. Learn more at hyphencare.com.

About Healthfirst

Healthfirst, one of New York’s largest not-for-profit health insurance companies, has earned the trust of close to 2 million members by ensuring access to affordable and high-quality healthcare. Sponsored by downstate New York’s leading hospital systems, Healthfirst’s unique advantage is rooted in its mission to put members first by partnering closely with its broad network of providers on shared goals. Healthfirst is also a pioneer of the value-based care model, now recognized as a national best practice. For more than 30 years, Healthfirst has worked with its network of hospital systems, community providers, and partners to improve health outcomes and advance health equity through better access to care—especially in underserved communities adversely impacted by disease, health disparities, and socioeconomic barriers to optimal health. Healthfirst has built its reputation in the community for top-quality products and services New Yorkers can depend on. It offers market-leading products to fit every life stage, including Medicaid plans, Medicare Advantage plans, Long-Term Care plans, Qualified Health plans, Essential Plans, and individual and small group plans. Healthfirst serves members in New York City and on Long Island, as well as in Westchester, Rockland, Sullivan, and Orange counties. For more information on Healthfirst, please visit healthfirst.org.