AcademyHealth’s 2025 Annual Research Meeting is approaching, and this year is anything but normal. Though there will be many colleagues and friends who are unable to join the meeting in person due to budget and travel restrictions, I am eager to meet with those in attendance to share and learn about new work. Because most days now feel like the “This is Fine” meme where the dog sits at the table sipping coffee while the room is on fire, I’m excited for a break from my day job to engage with the greater health services research community! In some ways, coming together is more important than ever as we all try to navigate the current political landscape and the threats to many programs and policies that we spend our time studying and working to improve.
I want to highlight what you can expect from this year’s Medicare theme. We all know and love Medicare beneficiaries, and many of us are or will be in the program one day. Even if you don’t think about Medicare all the time like I do, I imagine you would enjoy learning more about how it works (or doesn’t) for beneficiaries and taxpayers! Let’s dig into what you can expect!
On Saturday, June 7th, there will be two Medicare themed sessions, the first on Health Care Markets: Integration and Incentives from 2:15-3:30pm CT and the second on Medicare Plan Enrollment and Switching from 4:00-5:15 pm CT. For the former, policy wonks will be in for a treat as presenters dig into the weeds on vertical integration, plan networks, and risk coding!
Given my love for all things Medicare Part D, I’m especially excited to hear more about insurer, pharmacy benefits manager, and pharmacy integration and what that means for the distribution and pricing of medicines. Recent Federal Trade Commission investigations have provided us with insights into how common integration is among these entities, making this a hot topic for drug policy and policy reform. Other topics in the session focus on Medicare Advantage, plan networks, and risk coding, which have major implications for how beneficiaries experience the Medicare program and how much taxpayers pay for it.
In the session later that same day, we will highlight four papers that evaluate different aspects of plan switching (or, in some cases, not switching) and what that means for beneficiaries. This session features papers that touch on two distinct types of beneficiaries – those who are dual eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, and those who are not. The risks and dynamics of plan switching are distinct for these two groups, which I think will make for an interesting contrast within the talks. Can’t wait to see you there!
On Sunday, June 8th, from 2-3:15 we will have four excellent talks focused on care for some of the most vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries – those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia along with new or updated reporting on novel payment models from 3:45-5:00. Will we see evidence of savings or improved quality under these payment models? Come and find out!
On Monday, June 9th there are two panels that touch on some of the biggest policy issues for the Medicare program: Medicare Advantage and the Inflation Reduction Act. First, the “Great Debates: Medicare Advantage and the Corporatization of Health Care” panel will be held from 9:30-10:45am. Grab your coffee (no judgement if this is your 2nd or 3rd cup) and head over to hear from Andy Ryan, Mike Chernew, Karen Joynt Maddox, and Sachin Jain as they debate the benefits and drawbacks of the Medicare Advantage program. My friend, Amol Navathe, will be moderating and has promised an interactive opportunity for the audience to weigh into the debate! Should be a fun discussion!
Next, from 3:30PM – 4:45pm you can hear from a panel including Ben Rome, Alyson Bancroft, and me about the Future of the Inflation Reduction Act. This panel will be moderate by Chris Cai and will highlight what is happening with the IRA, a moving target for drug policy wonks!
We head straight from the session to Medicare posters, from 5-6:15. Please do stop by – there are so many exceptional posters in our theme, and it will be a great time to socialize with colleagues and trainees!
Finally, on Tuesday, June 10th, from 10:15-11:30am we will hear more about Medicare Advantage – digging into how much it costs, how coding contributes to higher payments, and how well those plans are likely to work for beneficiaries. These talks feature some of the nation’s experts on Medicare Advantage, so I hope that you stay for this important part of the meeting. You will no doubt learn a lot about this growing part of Medicare (both in enrollment and budget!).
I truly look forward to seeing you Medicare enthusiasts at ARM this year. I think we will all learn a lot from one another and these great sessions. See you in Minnesota!