Connecting the Dots for Medicare Advantage Plans To Avoid Digital Friction and Churn

Medicare Advantage leaders spend countless hours on Star Ratings, retention analytics, and member experience strategies. But there’s one factor that quietly influences all three: digital friction.

Digital friction is what happens when members hit a wall using your tools—when they can’t find a benefit, understand a claim, or figure out how to schedule a visit. It shows up as confusion on the member side and as churn, low CAHPS scores, and higher costs on the plan side.

Digital Experience as a Loyalty Engine

J.D. Power’s research in Medicare Advantage makes the connection explicit:

• Among members who rate their digital experience “excellent,” about 85% say they intend to renew with their current plan.
• Among those who rate their digital experience “poor,” that renewal intention drops to about 39%.

The experience with your website and app is no longer just a convenience—it’s a direct predictor of loyalty.

Now layer on the reality that up to 50% of MA members switch plans within five years.

Even modest improvements in digital experience can materially shift retention and acquisition economics.

Why Digital Friction Shows Up in CAHPS

CAHPS doesn’t ask, “How good is your insurer’s app?” It asks about:

• Ease of getting needed care
• Ease of getting appointments
• How well doctors and the plan communicate
• Overall satisfaction with the health plan

But consider how many of these experiences are mediated through digital tools:

• Finding in-network providers online
• Understanding referrals or authorizations
• Accessing telehealth
• Reviewing coverage or costs
• Messaging providers or care teams

When members can’t use your digital front door, they experience delays, confusion, and frustration. They wait on hold more often. They feel like they’re doing more work than they should to get basic answers.

The end result is lower CAHPS scores—not because the care is bad, but because the experience of navigating the plan is hard.

The Hidden Retention Risk: Members Who Never Get Onboarded Digitally

Roughly one in five older adults have never used online tools for their healthcare at all, and many more have used them once or twice but then stopped when they got stuck.

From GetSetUp’s survey:

• Nearly 40% of learners had never or only once used their health plan’s portal or app.
• Over 62% wanted more support in understanding wellness and extra benefits.

That’s a huge portion of the membership quietly excluded from the digital experience you’re trying to optimize. As long as they’re stuck on the sidelines, they’re more likely to view the plan as difficult, opaque, or “not for them.”

Activation: The Missing Link Between Strategy and Outcomes

You can’t improve Stars and retention through digital alone. You need digital activation—a systematic way to help members build the skills and confidence to use your tools.

That’s where GetSetUp’s peer-led model fits in:

• We help older adults learn how to log in, navigate, and use your existing portals and apps.
• We do it through live classes, 1-on-1 sessions, and ongoing education—not one-time webinars.
• We focus on building a relationship with digital, not just checking a training box.

When members feel confident, they’re more likely to:

• Stay with your plan longer.
• Use the benefits you’ve invested in offering.
• Have smoother, more positive experiences that show up in CAHPS responses.

Digital friction is not inevitable. It’s an addressable gap. And closing it is one of the highest-leverage strategies available to Medicare Advantage plans trying to win on Stars and retention.