Advancing Health Equity with Digital Member Engagement Solutions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines health equity as “the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health” regardless of disadvantages stemming from socially determined circumstances. To address imbalances, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has prioritized health equity through its Health Equity Framework. Among its five key priorities, “advancing language access, health literacy, and culturally tailored services” (Priority 4 in the framework) focuses on ensuring equitable care so that all individuals, including members of under-resourced communities, can access benefits, services, and support.

Digital member engagement platforms, like the Wellframe™ solution from HealthEdge®, closely align with CMS’s vision by removing barriers to care, enhancing health literacy, and personalizing care to meet individual needs. These solutions empower health plans to meet regulatory requirements while simultaneously driving significant improvements in member health outcomes and quality metrics like Star Ratings. Improved member engagement leads to member satisfaction and retention, which are vital to health plans’ competitiveness, affordability, and growth.

Health Equity Is a Top Priority for Health Plans in 2025

The 2025 HealthEdge® Annual Payer Market Planning Report highlights that enhancing health equity is a foremost priority for health plan executives, with 59% identifying it as their primary focus. The combined focus on equity (59%) and transparency (51%) showcases a broader dedication to closing care gaps while establishing trust with members.

Digital tools play an essential role in advancing health equity. By tackling disparities in access, communication, and education, these solutions empower health plans to effectively connect with diverse populations, enhance outcomes, and satisfy evolving member expectations.

Digital Member Engagement: A Key Driver of Health Equity

Modern digital member engagement platforms are uniquely equipped to address the barriers to equitable care. Their capabilities include:

• Accessible Health Information. Digital tools ensure that logistical challenges such as transportation or limited mobility do not prevent members from obtaining essential health education and care resources.
• Proactive Member Support. Automated reminders for medication adherence, appointments, and preventive screenings help members stay on track with their care and minimize health risks.
• Culturally Tailored Communication. Multilingual content in simple formats tackles language and literacy barriers to ensure information is easy to comprehend and recommended actions are clear.
• Personalized Interventions. Platforms customize content to meet individual needs, such as assisting chronic disease management for Medicare members and addressing Health Related Social Needs for Medicaid, Medicare and dual-eligible health plan populations.
• Efficient Resource Management. Digital solutions empower health plan care management teams to extend their reach in an interoperable and cost-effective way while delivering personalized support to more members.

These capabilities directly support CMS’s health equity Priority 4 by advancing health literacy, expanding language access, and delivering culturally responsive care to communities historically excluded from health access. 

How Wellframe Advances Health Equity

Wellframe goes beyond the basic features of digital engagement to tackle specific barriers to health equity: 

Digital Distribution of Content

Access to care represents a significant barrier to health equity. Factors like lack of transportation or childcare frequently hinder individuals from obtaining regular preventive care. This results in poor health outcomes and increased healthcare costs. By delivering health content directly to members, Wellframe bridges these gaps, boosts health literacy, and enhances access to care resources.

Content Design

Wellframe creates content based on best practices in instructional design, with plain language principles to ensure clarity and accessibility. All content is structured to a 4th-grade readability level on the Flesch-Kincaid scale so that content is straightforward for members to understand, regardless of their health literacy. This approach ensures that essential health information is approachable and actionable for all members. Health education delivered this way helps increase health literacy and engage members more in their care.

Uncovering Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and Barriers to Care

Wellframe’s platform incorporates assessments (also known as Health Appraisals), alerting logic, and messaging designed to uncover barriers to care, such as transportation challenges, financial difficulties, and emotional support needs. By identifying these barriers, Wellframe enables care teams to engage and collaborate with members to address the needs of groups with Health-Related Social Needs proactively.[JV1]

Use of Inclusive Language

Inclusive language fosters empathy and strengthens connections between members and care teams. Using an internal Inclusive Language Toolkit, HealthEdge ensures that all content resonates with diverse populations, providing a relevant and relatable experience for every member.

Translation and Multilingual Support

Navigating the healthcare system can be particularly challenging for non-English speakers. Wellframe addresses this gap by offering health education materials directly accessible via smartphone in members’ preferred languages. This multilingual support significantly enhances accessibility, improves health literacy, and reduces disparities.

Measurable Impact on Member Outcomes

Wellframe is proven to deliver equitable care and improve health outcomes through measurable results.

• The platform has helped health plans reduce ER visits by 9% and inpatient admissions by 17%.
• Member engagement has helped health plans double active clinical teams’ caseloads and increase interactions 6x.
• Wellframe has allowed health plans to achieve a 91% success rate in member outreach.
• Wellframe’s programs have high member satisfaction ratings, with a 4.7/5 App Store rating and over 70% of onboarded members engaging within 30 days across health plans.

These outcomes demonstrate Wellframe’s power to reduce disparities, improve care delivery, and drive value for members and health plans.

Empowering Health Plans with Digital Innovation to Drive Health Equity

Achieving health equity in alignment with CMS’s Health Equity Framework is a regulatory and strategic priority for health plans. Digital tools like Wellframe enable health plans to meet quality metrics, enhance member satisfaction, and stay competitive in a fast-changing market.

By closing care gaps and fostering equitable access, Wellframe positions health plans as leaders in care innovation, building trust and driving better outcomes for all members. Visit HealthEdge.com to learn more about digital member engagement.