Humana Report Finds Value-Based Care Associated With 13.4% Fewer Emergency Department Visits

Medicare Advantage (MA) members enrolled in value-based care (VBC) arrangements had 13.4% fewer emergency department visits and 7.6% fewer inpatient hospital admissions compared to MA members not aligned with VBC providers, according to Humana’s 12th Annual Value-Based Care Report.

The report analyzes 2024 data across Humana’s Medicare Advantage and Medicaid populations and attributes improvements in quality, utilization, and cost outcomes to participation in VBC arrangements.

Humana reported that the 13.4% reduction in emergency department visits among MA members aligned with VBC providers translated to more than 204,000 fewer emergency room visits. The 7.6% reduction in inpatient admissions represented approximately 72,000 fewer admissions, or 465,000 fewer inpatient days. Compared to Original Medicare, Humana reported that MA members aligned with VBC providers had 24.3% fewer inpatient admissions, representing approximately 229,000 fewer admissions.

Humana also reported that VBC-aligned provider organizations outperformed non-VBC providers across all Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures tracked in the report, including preventive screenings, senior care assessments, chronic condition management, and care coordination. Improvements were reported in breast and colorectal cancer screenings, diabetes eye exams, blood pressure control, kidney health evaluations, and post-discharge medication reconciliation.

MA members aligned with VBC providers also scored higher than non-VBC members across all Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) measures reported, including ratings of health plan, health care, care coordination, customer service, and drug plan. Humana reported that Net Promoter Scores for individual MA members aligned with VBC providers were 13 points higher than for those not aligned with VBC providers.

According to Humana’s estimates, its MA value-based arrangements resulted in $12.8 billion in medical cost savings compared to Original Medicare, representing a 26.3% reduction in medical costs. For dual-eligible members, the estimated savings compared to Original Medicare were $3 billion.

Humana reported that VBC practices earned approximately twice as much on average compared to the Medicare fee schedule, which the company stated supports reinvestment in care delivery and practice sustainability. Provider organizations participating in Humana’s Medicaid VBC program earned $270 million in incentive payments across Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, and South Carolina.

The full text of 12th Annual Value-Based Care Report was published on February 6, 2026, by Humana, Inc. A free copy is available (accessed February 11, 2026).

For more information, contact: Kristen Schabert, Corporate Communications, Humana, Inc., Email: kschabert@humana.com; Website: https://www.humana.com/

March 2026     00US26EUA0007

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