On May 29, 2024, the Center for American Progress Center responded to a
request for information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) related to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program and MA data. The letter explains how existing gaps in MA reporting requirements fail to serve the needs of researchers, policymakers, regulators, and beneficiaries.
CAP’s response makes recommendations for improved data collection on broker compensation, network adequacy, prior authorization, supplemental benefits, disenrollment, and enrollee out-of-pocket cost expenditures. The response urges CMS to use improved data to ensure that the MA program is providing beneficiaries with fair, reliable, and useful information that enables them to make informed enrollment choices; protect beneficiaries enrolled in MA plans from inadequate coverage and harmful practices; and ensure that the MA program is working optimally for contracted clinicians, enabling them to practice appropriate and high-quality care.