Press Releases
March 18, 2015

More Healthcare Leaders Join New Medicare Advantage Coalition

Three more healthcare organizations have joined the Better Medicare Alliance, a growing and diverse coalition dedicated to protecting and strengthening Medicare Advantage.

Contact: Bill Pierce

(202) 659-7931

WASHINGTON – Three more healthcare organizations have joined the Better Medicare Alliance, a growing and diverse coalition dedicated to protecting and strengthening Medicare Advantage.

With the addition of the Alliance for Aging Research, Mercy Health/Healthspan Partners and naviHealth, the Better Medicare Alliance now includes 19 organizations who believe Medicare Advantage is better for seniors and better for the health care system.

The Alliance for Aging Research is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the pace of scientific discoveries and their application to vastly improve the universal human experience of aging and health.

“We are very pleased to join the Better Medicare Alliance. Their research agenda will contribute to the growing body of evidence demonstrating that Medicare Advantage is leading the way in many aspects of evidence-based care, including chronic disease management, prevention and screening” said Sue Peschin, President and CEO of the Alliance for Aging Research.

Operating more than 200 healthcare organizations in Ohio and Kentucky, Mercy Health (formerly Catholic Health Partners) is one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the United States. HealthSpan Partners is a not-for-profit, independent, partner organization to Mercy Health founded in 2013 to support innovations in health care.

“Caring for thousands of seniors every day, we know firsthand that Medicare Advantage provides better healthcare for Medicare beneficiaries,” said Jeff Copeland, senior vice president for insurance at Mercy Health. “Offering high-quality insurance options to seniors in Ohio and Kentucky makes lives better and makes healthcare easier, and spurs our transformation to value-based healthcare.”

naviHealth is a leading, innovative company dedicated to post-acute care (PAC) management solutions and provides services to over one million beneficiaries in all regions of the country through partnerships with health plans and health systems.

“Through Medicare Advantage, seniors have access to more coordinated healthcare services across the full continuum of care,” said Kelsey Mellard, vice president of partnership marketing and policy at naviHealth.

The new members join as the Better Medicare Alliance works to raise awareness of the harm that proposed new cuts to Medicare Advantage would do to 17 million Medicare Advantage beneficiaries nationwide.

The Better Medicare Alliance recently released an actuarial analysis from Milliman showing that Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are paying more and getting less as a result of deep federal cuts to Medicare Advantage that were implemented from 2012-2015. The report found that those who need the most care have seen their maximum annual out-of-pocket costs soar by up to $761. In addition, Medicare beneficiaries in 211 U.S. counties now do not have access to Medicare Advantage.

“We are very proud to welcome these three leading organizations who share our belief in the value of Medicare Advantage,” said Krista Drobac, interim executive director of the Better Medicare Alliance.

About the Better Medicare Alliance

The Better Medicare Alliance (BMA) is a new coalition of providers, plans, beneficiaries and advocates who believe Medicare Advantage is better for seniors and better for the healthcare system. To learn more, please visit www.bettermedicarealliance.org.

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