The Center for Innovation in Medicare Advantage (CIMA) is a new sister organization and research arm to the Better Medicare Alliance.
The mission of the Center for Innovation in Medicare Advantage is to present the evidence of the quality, cost-effectiveness, and value of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries by conducting and, working closely with Better Medicare Alliance, disseminating non-partisan, timely, and credible research and analyses on the latest developments in Medicare Advantage and identifying recommendations to enhance and improve both coverage and care.
July 2020
CIMA partnered with ATI Advisory to conduct a study on the role of telehealth and virtual care in meeting the needs of Medicare beneficiaries during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. This report offers findings from the first months of the pandemic as a way to gain early lessons learned on the urgent response that led to broad adoption of telehealth. Through data analysis and stakeholder interviews, ATI Advisory identified factors accelerating delivery of telehealth in the new environment, and barriers to fulfilling its full potential.
October 2020
In this report, CIMA presents a set of comprehensive recommendations to reimagine Medicare enrollment, thereby empowering beneficiaries to make better sense of their options and become active choosers in their health coverage. The report, conducted by Health Management Associates (HMA), offers a five-part plan, including designating the Department of Health and Human Services as the agency solely responsible for Medicare enrollment and administration and initiating earlier beneficiary engagement.
December 2020
This CIMA report, with analysis conducted by Avalere Health, examined data on more than 1.4 million Medicare Advantage beneficiaries and 7.9 million Traditional Medicare beneficiaries, finding that Medicare Advantage outperforms Traditional Medicare on a broad range of quality measures – ranging from pneumonia and flu vaccines to diabetic eye exams, post-acute care, and avoidable hospitalizations. The study population included the frail elderly, those with complex chronic conditions, and those individuals under 65 years old who are in Medicare due to a disability. These high-need beneficiaries were matched using new analytic tools not previously used for such studies.
January 2021
In this report, Better Medicare Alliance and researchers from NORC at the University of Chicago examine the current limitations of patient experience measurement in the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey of Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plans. The report offers policy recommendations to modernize the survey while improving its accuracy and usefulness.
August 2021
This report, commissioned by Better Medicare Alliance’s Center for Innovation in Medicare Advantage (CIMA) and conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, examines current approaches to social determinants of health in Medicare Advantage and offers policy recommendations to spur further innovation in this space.
Board members of the Center for Innovation in Medicare Advantage are experts in their field who possess deep knowledge of U.S. health care and Medicare Advantage with a keen interest in advancing understanding of Medicare Advantage among new audiences.
President and CEO, AMGA
President and CEO, America's Physician Groups (APG)
President and CEO, Better Medicare Alliance
Our CIMA team members can be reached at info@bettermedicarealliance.org