Avalere Health Selected by CMS as Strategic and Analytical Research Partner

Contact: Lindsey Spindle, 202.207.1337, lspindle@avalerehealth.net

9.19.05

Washington, DC –Avalere Health announced today it has been selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) as one of a few firms that will be eligible to provide strategic analysis and research services to CMS’ Office of Research, Development and Information.  Avalere is part of a team anchored by Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management, and is joined by Dartmouth Medical School, Boston University, New England Research Institutes, Advanced Pharmacy Concepts, JSP Solutions Group, and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Under this new contract, CMS can award the Brandeis–Avalere team assignments directly related to CMS’ future strategic initiatives and interests related to Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, the uninsured, and any other aspects of CMS program responsibilities.  CMS has communicated that this work will touch on critical aspects of healthcare research: costs, quality, service delivery models, and financing and payment approaches, and will work to evaluate the impact of CMS’ programs on its beneficiaries, providers, states, and other customers and partners.

“We view this work with CMS and our partners as critical to making improvements to the healthcare system, and are looking forward to working on projects that address the most pressing needs of CMS beneficiaries,” said Dan Mendelson, president and founder of Avalere Health. “Given the enormous changes about to take hold with the implementation of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, we hope to be a valuable analytical and research partner for CMS.”

Recent Avalere research has focused on Medicare’s role in accelerating the adoption of health information technology (September/October issue of Health Affairs), state Medicaid programs’ increasing reliance on evidence reviews in crafting and managing their pharmaceutical benefits (developed on behalf of the Kaiser Family Foundation), and the vulnerability of the dual eligible population (research conducted for the California Healthcare Foundation).

This fall, Avalere will release new research related to Medicaid asset transfers, the long-term care population’s experience under Medicare Part D, and how people with chronic conditions may fare under the new prescription drug benefit.  All Avalere research can be found at http://www.avalerehealth.net/about/archive.html.

Avalere Health is a leading advisory company focused on healthcare business strategy and public policy. It serves a diverse client base, which includes Fortune 500 healthcare technology companies, Federal government agencies, and major medical foundations. The company is organized into six practice areas - Medicare, Medicaid, Reimbursement, Long Term Care, Health Information Technology, and Education. Anchored by a comprehensive research engine and staffed by experts in business, medical product commercialization and health policy, Avalere provides strategic guidance, objective analytic research, and quality educational programs focused on the full range of health care issues facing our nation.

Founded in 2000, the firm was initially known as The Health Strategies Consultancy. The name was changed in 2005 to reflect the unique nature of the firm's products and services. Further information can be obtained at www.avalerehealth.net.

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