Embedded ACO Pharmacists Produce Savings for BCBS of Rhode Island

While an unprecedented number of Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans earned a 5-star rating for 2022 largely because of flexibilities granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) credits a performance-based pharmacist intervention model with dramatically improving its drug-related scores and contributing to a 5-star summary rating for both of its contracts.

For 2022, CMS allowed plans to use the better of the two years’ rating (2021 or 2022) for most measures because all contracts qualified for the “extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy.” Plans will not have that flexibility for the 2023 star ratings due out this fall.

© 2025 MMIT
Lauren Flynn Kelly

Lauren Flynn Kelly Managing Editor, Radar on Medicare Advantage

Lauren has been covering health business issues since the early 2000s and specializes in in-depth reporting on Medicare Advantage, managed Medicaid and Medicare Part D. She also possesses a deep understanding of the complex world of pharmacy benefit management, having written AIS Health’s Radar on Drug Benefits from 2004 to 2005 and again from 2011 to 2016. In addition to her role as managing editor of Radar on Medicare Advantage, she oversees AIS Health’s publications and manages the health editorial staff. She graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in English.

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