Cash payment tied to better medication use after heart failure care
A small UTSW-led trial found low-income heart failure patients given $500 after hospitalization reported higher medication adherence one month later.
By Priya Raghavan · Science Reporter
2 min read
A one-time cash payment may help low-income patients with heart failure keep taking their medicines after leaving the hospital, according to a pilot study led by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The finding matters because medication use after a heart failure hospitalization is a key part of recovery, and financial strain can get in the way of care.
The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, tested whether direct financial support could improve adherence shortly after discharge. Researchers enrolled 153 patients at Parkland Memorial Hospital within two weeks of a heart failure hospitalization, according to UT Southwestern.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either usual care or a single $500 payment. The money was not limited to medical expenses, allowing patients to spend it on needs they considered most pressing.
After one month, 140 patients completed follow-up. Patients who received the payment had a medication adherence rate 20% higher than those who received usual care, UT Southwestern reported.
The authors said the results point to a possible role for addressing economic pressure as part of medical treatment. They contrasted the approach with programs that focus on narrower supports, such as help with copays or coordination of care.
Heart failure often requires ongoing drug therapy after a hospital stay. For low-income patients, the costs and tradeoffs that follow discharge can affect whether prescriptions are filled and taken as directed, the researchers said.
The study did not find differences between the cash-support group and the usual-care group in symptoms, quality of life or hospital readmissions. UT Southwestern said the trial was designed as a pilot, with a small group of patients and short follow-up, rather than as a definitive test of long-term health effects.
The published paper, by Neil Keshvani and colleagues, is titled “Effect of Early Financial Support on Medication Adherence Among Low-Income Patients Following Heart Failure Hospitalization.” The article lists the DOI as 10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.5113.
The authors said larger and longer studies will be needed to determine whether direct financial support can improve clinical outcomes for patients recovering from heart failure hospitalization. For now, the trial suggests that modest, flexible cash assistance may help patients stay on prescribed medications during the vulnerable period after discharge.
This story draws on original reporting from Medical Xpress.