Better Medicare Alliance is the nation’s leading research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage. Together, we are over 150 Ally organizations from across the health care spectrum and more than 500,000 grassroots beneficiary advocates united in our mission to build a healthier future through a strong Medicare Advantage.
Leaders in Congress, the Administration, and communities nationwide know and trust our grassroots-driven advocacy to grow and strengthen Medicare Advantage.
[caption id="attachment_19503" align="aligncenter" width="374"] Source: MIlliman[/caption] Washington, D.C. (February 11, 2021) - Better Medicare Alliance, the leading research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage, released a new data brief prepared by the actuarial consulting firm…
Washington, D.C. – Better Medicare Alliance (BMA), the leading research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage, unveiled a new 60-second television ad set to air on broadcast networks in Washington, D.C. and cable news channels…
Washington, D.C. – Better Medicare Alliance’s Center for Innovation in Medicare Advantage (CIMA) today unveiled new research conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago examining the current limitations of measuring patient experience in the…
As of this writing, more than 460,000 Americans have lost their lives due to COVID-19 – with seniors and those with disabilities among those most at-risk. Better Medicare Alliance advocates for solutions to ensure Medicare Advantage has the tools it needs to keep seniors safe in this uncertain time.
As a diverse community of Ally organizations and beneficiaries, Better Medicare Alliance has a keen focus on addressing racial disparities that persist across the health care spectrum and bringing the tools uniquely found in Medicare Advantage to bear in the effort to achieve true equality in health care.
In addition to individuals age 65 and older and people with disabilities, Medicare covers people with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), also known as kidney failure. By 2021, all Traditional Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD will be allowed to enroll in Medicare Advantage. While Better Medicare Alliance secured changes to improve care for ESRD beneficiaries, a payment gap remains that could result in Medicare Advantage failing to recoup the full cost of these beneficiaries' care. Accurate payment for ESRD enrollees protects all Medicare Advantage beneficiaries from higher costs or fewer opportunities to expand and improve supplemental benefits.
Telehealth is already improving access to health care across Medicare Advantage. Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an actuarial analysis commissioned by Better Medicare Alliance found that over two-thirds of Medicare Advantage plans provided telehealth as a supplemental benefit. Now, with new flexibilities granted to ease the adoption of telehealth in the face of the current COVID-19 crisis, a poll conducted by Morning Consult for Better Medicare Alliance finds that 91% of seniors on Medicare Advantage who use this technology report a positive experience.
Better Medicare Alliance is leading the charge for solutions to streamline the Medicare enrollment process and ensure that all beneficiaries understand the option of Medicare Advantage so they can be active choosers in their health coverage. Already, we've secured the addition of language in the annual "Medicare & You" handbook that includes easy-to-read, upfront comparisons of Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare. We also worked with leaders in Congress like Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) to urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to increase the number of languages used in Medicare’s educational and enrollment materials.
Value-Based Care
Medicare Advantage is built on a payment system that aims to move Medicare from a volume-based to a value-based system. The capitated framework in Medicare Advantage encourages a complete strategy of patient care to prevent unmanaged care that jumps from service to service.
A trusted advocate for seniors, Allyson Y. Schwartz served Pennsylvanians for a decade in Congress before bringing her passion for health care to Better Medicare Alliance. As a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, she oversaw key reforms to strengthen Medicare for current and future generations. Schwartz’s leadership at Better Medicare Alliance continues a career-long journey to improve health care affordability, coverage, and outcomes – which is exactly what Medicare Advantage does for 24 million beneficiaries and counting.
Better Medicare Alliance partners with 143 Ally organizations from across the healthcare spectrum – health providers, Medicare Advantage plans, community partners, area agencies on aging, and other stakeholders – to grow and strengthen Medicare Advantage.
Highlights from our 2020 Medicare Advantage Summit
Our 2020 Medicare Advantage Summit featured a three-day agenda with leaders such as HHS Secretary Alex Azar, CMMI Director Brad Smith, a bipartisan roster of Members of Congress, and top health care innovators. Catch up on all that you may have missed and make plans to join us again in 2021!