Ghazal: “The misleading narrative around MA must end. Seniors nationwide are depending on it.”
The Healthcare Leadership Council today issued the following statement from President and CEO Maria Ghazal in response to MedPAC’s March 2026 report to Congress on Medicare payments:
“The 35 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage need stability and certainty in their healthcare coverage. The latest MedPAC report continues to misconstrue data and erroneously depict cost comparisons between MA and fee-for-service Medicare.
“While MedPAC has refined the coding intensity estimate in a more accurate manner, misleading analyses persist. Specifically, as HLC identified in our fall report, the recently introduced favorable selection adjustment continues to create the perception of ‘overpayment,’ perpetuating a flawed narrative.
“As HLC has underscored time and again, faulty numbers can lead policymakers to faulty decisions when discussing MA programmatic changes. And, unfortunately, when flawed data prevails in policymaking, the most vulnerable communities may suffer the consequences.
“We will continue to implore policymakers to recognize the limitations of MedPAC’s analyses and use sound data. The misleading narrative around MA must end. Seniors nationwide are depending on it.”
Last fall, HLC released the report “Setting the Record Straight: The Facts Behind MedPAC’s Misleading Cost Analysis of Medicare Advantage,” highlighting flawed assumptions underlying key errors in MedPAC’s methodology.
“We are pleased that since the report’s release, the Commission has heard the concerns expressed by industry and adjusted its coding intensity estimate and considered the ESRD population. HLC and leaders across the sector look forward to continuing to educate stakeholders on the holistic value of the MA program’s benefits, cost protections, and design structure.” Ghazal added.
