Dr. Amol Navathe, chair of MedPAC, defended the widely cited analysis showing that Medicare Advantage plans receive billions in overpayments relative to traditional Medicare. He did so at an event hosted by an insurance lobbying group, a setting likely to be skeptical of the findings.
The analysis has become the most referenced estimate in debates over how to measure Medicare Advantage spending. Navathe's appearance signals an effort to maintain the credibility of the report amid pushback from the insurance industry.
Reports from the event do not indicate that Navathe changed his position or acknowledged flaws in the methodology. The one available account focuses on his defense of the work, not on any concessions to the audience.