GiftCard Partners Blog

Most wellness initiatives don’t fail because they lack education, technology, or good intentions. They fail because daily behaviors are hard to sustain once initial motivation fades. App check-ins slow down, medication routines slip, and remote monitoring participation declines. 

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States and creates an enormous burden for people, communities, and healthcare providers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an American dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease. And between 2019 and 2020, heart disease cost the U.S. about $252.2 billion in health care services, medicines, and lost productivity.

Prior to March 2020, telemedicine was a rarely used service. It wasn’t common to video chat with your doctor or receive medical care over the phone or via email. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more doctors are turning to telemedicine in order to stay engaged with patients and provide health care services.

For most organizations, healthcare remains one of the largest and fastest-rising benefit expenses. And the challenge is only growing.

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Medicaid/Medicare payers, and community health programs work year-round to improve preventive care compliance. Yet many beneficiaries still skip their annual screenings due to work conflicts, transportation issues, or a lack of understanding about the long-term value of preventive care.