In today’s healthcare environment, health plans face increasing pressure to control costs, improve outcomes, and create better member experiences. Digital health solutions are often positioned as the answer, but the real challenge is proving return on investment (ROI). For health plans, ROI cannot stop at surface-level metrics such as app downloads or monthly logins. Instead, the true measure of digital value lies in tangible outcomes: fewer hospitalizations, reduced emergency visits, improved medication adherence, and healthier members who remain engaged with their care.
The demand for digital tools is growing as members expect the same ease and personalization from healthcare that they experience in other areas of life. Yet health plans must separate hype from reality. Investments in technology must be justified with measurable benefits. This means demonstrating cost savings through reduced avoidable admissions, preventing complications that drive utilization, and proving that members who engage with digital platforms are more satisfied and more likely to stay with their plan. Operational efficiency also plays a key role, as automation of manual tasks — like managing prior authorizations or fielding medication questions through call centers — reduces overhead and frees resources for higher-value activities.
To measure ROI effectively, plans must move beyond vanity metrics. Counting how many members downloaded an app or logged in last month tells only part of the story. What really matters is whether members stayed on their medications, started therapies more quickly due to fewer administrative barriers, or avoided unnecessary ER visits because they had timely support. The impact of digital solutions should be measured in changes to member health outcomes, reduced utilization, and lower costs. When assessed this way, ROI becomes a true business case, not just a marketing story.
The risks of ignoring this discipline are significant. Many digital health programs fail because they overpromise and underdeliver, or because they are not integrated into provider or member workflows. If the technology adds friction instead of reducing it, adoption will lag and impact will evaporate. Another risk is measuring success too narrowly or too quickly. Some of the greatest benefits, such as improved adherence or reductions in readmissions, accrue over time and must be evaluated with a longer horizon. Without patience and the right framework, health plans may miss the full value of their investments.
When digital tools are designed well and supported with the right infrastructure, success is clear. For example, a member with diabetes who consistently takes medication because of reminders and tracking features is less likely to develop complications that require hospitalization. A patient with asthma who avoids prior authorization delays and gains faster access to treatment has a lower risk of ending up in the emergency room. A senior managing multiple prescriptions who understands drug pricing and coverage options is less likely to abandon therapy at the pharmacy counter. These are the kinds of outcomes that generate measurable ROI, both in improved health and in reduced cost.
At MyCabinet, ROI is not an afterthought — it is central to our mission. The platform helps members improve adherence through reminders and medication tracking, which directly lowers the risk of costly complications. By providing visibility into prescriptions, coverage, and reminders, it reduces pharmacy abandonment and ensures members remain engaged with their care. Health plans benefit from stronger member satisfaction and retention, while also gaining operational savings from fewer manual interventions. MyCabinet also produces insights by highlighting patterns in medication use, helping payers identify where interventions are most needed. In this way, every feature of the platform is designed not just for convenience, but for measurable impact.
Digital health ROI must ultimately be proven in both dollars and outcomes. Health plans that adopt a disciplined approach, measure what matters, and align technology with member needs will unlock the full potential of digital investments. With MyCabinet, health plans have the opportunity to deliver healthier members, lower costs, and a stronger return on every digital dollar spent.
References
- Medication adherence: The elephant in the room, U.S. Pharmacist – up to 50% of patients don’t take medications as prescribed; linked to 125,000 deaths and 25% of hospitalizations annually.
https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/medication-adherence-the-elephant-in-the-room - Noncompliance with medications: An alarming reality, ChenMed – explores the financial and human toll of nonadherence on the healthcare system.
https://www.chenmed.com/blog/noncompliance-medications-alarming-reality