Press Releases
January 16, 2015

More Stakeholders Join New Medicare Advantage Coalition

WASHINGTON – Three more leading healthcare organizations have joined the Better Medicare Alliance, a diverse new coalition dedicated to strengthening Medicare Advantage and demonstrating the program’s value.

The Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, Indiana University Health and National Minority Quality Forum join the 13 founding organizations who came together to create the Better Medicare Alliance last month. The new group brings together Medicare providers, beneficiaries and advocates who believe Medicare Advantage is better for seniors and better for the healthcare system.

The Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness is the national voice for specialty behavioral health and wellness companies. ABHW member companies provide specialty services to treat mental health, substance use and other behaviors that impact health.

“ABHW is pleased to join the Better Medicare Alliance and we look forward to working with the Alliance to highlight the advancements Medicare Advantage plans have made in treating seniors with mental health and addiction disorders,” said Pamela Greenberg, President and CEO of ABHW.

Indiana University Health is Indiana’s most comprehensive healthcare system. A unique partnership with Indiana University School of Medicine, one of the nation’s leading medical schools, gives patients access to innovative treatments and therapies. IU Health is comprised of hospitals, physicians and allied services dedicated to providing preeminent care throughout Indiana and beyond.

“IU Health Plans’ Medicare Advantage plan includes a comprehensive network of physicians and hospitals across 33 counties in Indiana and is one of the state’s highest-rated Medicare Advantage Plans,” according to Jim Parker, President, IU Health Plans.” We look forward to working with the Better Medicare Alliance to strengthen the Medicare Advantage program, ensuring our members have continued access to this important health care option for comprehensive medical coverage.”

The National Minority Quality Forum (The Forum) is a Washington, DC-based not-for-profit, non-partisan, independent research and education organization founded in 1998 that is dedicated to improving the quality of health care that is available for, and provided to, all populations in the United States. The Forum is guided by a set of principles that are designed to assure that the American health services research, financing and delivery system is inclusive of, and assigns equal value to, the healthcare and health status of all populations in the United States; creates market incentives for research and innovation that are responsive to changing population demographics and health care needs; and places the quality and efficacy of patient care, rather than cost, at the center of policy development and the clinical decision-making process.

“The National Minority Quality Forum is well aware of the value of Medicare Advantage to diverse populations in the United States. We are pleased to add our name to the growing roster of organizations who are members of the Better Medicare Alliance,” said Gary A Puckrein, PhD, President and CEO of the National Minority Quality Forum.

“We are very pleased to welcome these three distinguished organizations who join us in strong support of Medicare Advantage,” said Krista Drobac, interim executive director of the Better Medicare Alliance.

Also known as Medicare Part C, Medicare Advantage is the part of Medicare that provides high quality, more affordable healthcare coverage. More than 16 million Medicare beneficiaries rely on Medicare Advantage for their health and financial security, including medical, prescription drugs, behavioral, vision, dental, fitness and wellness benefits. Medicare Advantage focuses on prevention, coordinated care, better management of chronic conditions, and new provider payment models that reward value over volume. As a result of these innovations, Medicare Advantage is enhancing seniors’ health and well-being, while driving systemic improvements in care delivery.

The Better Medicare Alliance unites providers, beneficiaries and advocates who believe Medicare Advantage is better for seniors and better for the healthcare system as a whole. Building on the growing body of research showing that Medicare Advantage is improving health outcomes for seniors, the new group will commission research on the value proposition of Medicare Advantage. BMA will also rally support among seniors and stakeholders to preserve and strengthen this critically important coverage option that one-third of Medicare beneficiaries have chosen.

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