Health/Tech Blog | Productive/Edge

How Payers Can Leverage AI For Top Star Ratings

Written by Raheel Retiwalla | Jan 23, 2025 3:39:35 PM

You’ve been there—trying to make sense of endless performance metrics, chasing the elusive goal of enhancing Star ratings, and feeling the pressure to provide higher quality care for less cost. The demands on healthcare payers today are relentless. But as you sit at the center of it all, managing data, regulations, and member expectations, you might be feeling overwhelmed or even stuck, asking yourself: Is there a way to truly stay ahead of the curve?

The answer lies in embracing innovation—specifically, artificial intelligence (AI). Far from being a passing trend, AI offers transformative capabilities that empower healthcare payers to make data-driven decisions, enhance member engagement, streamline operations, and ultimately improve Star ratings.

What Are Star Ratings, and Why Do They Matter?

Star ratings are more than just a benchmark—they are a performance report card created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to measure how well Medicare Advantage and Part D plans deliver care and services. High Star ratings reflect exceptional performance in areas like patient experience, clinical outcomes, and member satisfaction, earning plans financial bonuses and improved enrollment rates.

Conversely, low ratings can result in financial penalties and lost competitive advantage.  In this context, achieving a 4-star rating or higher is not just an operational goal—it’s essential for long-term success.

The Role of AI in Healthcare Star Ratings

AI technology uses advanced algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data, uncover patterns, and generate actionable insights. With the advent of agentic AI, the potential for transformation has reached new heights. Unlike traditional AI systems, which rely on predefined rules and algorithms, agentic AI leverages autonomous agents that learn, adapt, and make decisions in real time. This enables healthcare organizations to streamline operations, enhance patient outcomes, and significantly improve system-wide efficiency. Productive Edge has carefully developed a suite of AI Agent Accelerators to help payers rapidly adopt AI and see immediate results in key operational areas.

Elevating Care Management

AI’s impact on care management is profound, offering tangible benefits such as:

  • Reducing operational costs by up to 30%.
  • Lowering readmissions by 15%.

By integrating AI into care management strategies, healthcare organizations can achieve improved outcomes and operational efficiency—key priorities for leadership teams aiming to drive profitability and future-proof their organizations.

Enhancing Member Engagement 

In today’s healthcare landscape, personalized communication is essential for fostering meaningful member relationships. Members expect their health plans to go beyond coverage and actively support their overall health and well-being.

AI-powered tools, such as chatbots and virtual assistants, play a pivotal role by:

  • Providing instant, personalized responses to inquiries about benefits, coverage, and wellness tips—available 24/7.
  • Improving member satisfaction scores, a critical metric for Star ratings.

Beyond automation, AI excels at analyzing member behavior and preferences to deliver targeted, proactive communications. Examples include reminders for preventive care, personalized wellness plans, and tailored outreach campaigns. These efforts can increase member participation by as much as 35%, fostering engagement that feels relevant and actionable rather than generic.

Streamlining Provider Support

While improving patient outcomes and member engagement are vital for boosting Star ratings, the role of provider support cannot be overlooked. AI-powered solutions streamline provider interactions by:

  • Simplifying administrative processes, such as claims submission and prior authorizations.
  • Offering real-time insights to assist in clinical decision-making.
  • Reducing delays and inefficiencies that strain provider-payer relationships.

By enhancing provider support, organizations create a more seamless healthcare ecosystem that benefits patients, members, and providers alike. 

CIOs and IT leaders who want to lead the charge, can download our free guide, AI Agents in Healthcare: A Readiness Guide For Senior Leaders, to learn how to assess your organization's AI maturity and identify high-impact use cases.

Actionable Next Steps

AI isn’t just about solving today’s problems—it’s about preparing for the future. The healthcare landscape will continue to evolve, with new regulations, technologies, and member expectations emerging all the time. But AI offers a clear path forward - and Productive Edge accelerates that path  with a clear, actionable strategy.

Our AI Action Planning Workshop is different, offering unparalleled deliverables:

  • Pre-work done for you: We’ve identified the top inefficiencies and AI opportunities across claims, clinical care, and more.

  • Results in one session: Prioritize use cases, estimate ROI, and align your team on where to take action first.

  • A clear roadmap: After the workshop, walk away with a tailored plan you can execute immediately.

By embracing AI, you can unlock new possibilities for improving your Star ratings, enhancing patient outcomes, and achieving operational excellence. The road ahead might seem daunting, but with the strategies and tools you'll gain from our workshop, you'll have the power to master the metrics and take your organization to the next level. Schedule your session today and start turning your biggest inefficiencies into a value-driving opportunities.