Deft Research

Deft Research Since 2005, Deft Research has been the healthcare industry's leading source for actionable consumer insights.

We help payers, providers, and partners anticipate behavior, identify opportunities, improve outcomes, and make decisions with confidence.

Are MA plans moving away from customer service? Not so fast.CMS’s latest Star Rating changes shift the focus back to cli...
06/16/2026

Are MA plans moving away from customer service? Not so fast.

CMS’s latest Star Rating changes shift the focus back to clinical outcomes—removing several customer service-related measures from the equation.
But that doesn’t mean customer experience is any less important.

📊 New Deft Research insights show:
→ Members who have respectful interactions with customer service are more likely to rate their plan highly—even if their issue isn’t fully resolved
→ Seniors still strongly prefer human interaction over AI-driven service when it comes to healthcare

As plans look to optimize costs and explore automation, the data is clear: the human element still drives satisfaction—and ultimately, plan performance.

The takeaway: Balancing efficiency with meaningful, human-centered service will be critical in this next phase of Star Ratings.

👉 Read the full article to see why customer service still deserves a front seat in your strategy: https://hubs.li/Q04lzm8-0

Bids are in. Now what?MA carriers have submitted their bids to CMS—but the big question still remains:How will members r...
06/11/2026

Bids are in. Now what?
MA carriers have submitted their bids to CMS—but the big question still remains:
How will members respond to your benefit changes?

The reality: by the time ANOCs hit mailboxes, it’s too late to adjust your strategy.
That’s where our Member Plan Stability Index (MPSI) gives you an edge.
Powered by our MAPD + PDP Disruption Tool, MPSI evaluates your submitted benefits against real consumer preference models—so you can understand likely member response before AEP begins.

What you can do now:
→ Validate your benefit design with data
→ Identify counties with elevated retention risk
→ Focus AEP sales and marketing where you’ll win

The AEP window is short. The advantage goes to those who act early.
Get ahead of AEP—learn more about MPSI. https://hubs.li/Q04l5jQ30

Three carriers have already signaled their intent to exit part or all of their MA markets—and more announcements are exp...
06/10/2026

Three carriers have already signaled their intent to exit part or all of their MA markets—and more announcements are expected before benefit data drops in October.

But will you see the disruption in time to adjust your marketing and distribution strategies? Carriers who know where competitors are exiting can position their agents in those markets now, before benefit data confirms what the smart money already sees.

Our Non-Commissionable and Exit Tracker monitors public announcements across all 50 states, tracking non-commissionable plans and market exits by carrier and county. Today, we monitor more than 1,200 counties and 30 carriers in the system—with live updates linked to the number of lives impacted and their locations.

Discover which markets are most affected before October benefit data confirms what you should have seen coming.
👉 Request a free demo today! https://hubs.li/Q04kXzQ-0

~75% of Age-Ins with a parent enrolled in Medicare Advantage expect to choose MA themselves. -Ins
06/09/2026

~75% of Age-Ins with a parent enrolled in Medicare Advantage expect to choose MA themselves.

-Ins

Before an Age-In ever compares plans, their expectations are already set.Our 2026 Medicare Age-In Study finds that Age-I...
06/04/2026

Before an Age-In ever compares plans, their expectations are already set.

Our 2026 Medicare Age-In Study finds that Age-Ins with a parent enrolled in Medicare Advantage are nearly 1.75 times more likely to expect to enroll in MA coverage themselves than those whose parents chose MedSupp. The inverse applies as well.

Word-of-mouth that shapes an Age-In's first Medicare decision doesn't happen during the IEP. It happens at the dinner table, years earlier—and often with their parents.

What does your current member experience say about your future enrollment pipeline?
📄 Request the free SIP summary from our 2026 Medicare Age-In Study to learn more: https://hubs.li/Q04k46TW0

❓Do you know how members will react to your benefit changes❓Most MA carriers who submit their bids in June don’t learn h...
06/03/2026

❓Do you know how members will react to your benefit changes❓

Most MA carriers who submit their bids in June don’t learn how members will respond until October—when it’s too late to adjust.

Our Member Plan Stability Index (MPSI) scores your submitted benefits against our consumer preference models and tells you—by plan, county, and state—how members will likely react to your benefit changes. You can get those answers before you submit to CMS, months before competitors’ bids are public.

Armed with that data, your retention, distribution, and marketing teams can target the right markets while those decisions still matter.

This year, submit your bids with better knowledge of how members will respond. Contact your Deft Research representative to learn more about our Member Plan Stability Index (MPSI) service.

Learn More Today: https://hubs.li/Q04jSflB0

Satisfied members often bring their Age-in kids with them.Member satisfaction affects more than renewal rates. It shapes...
06/02/2026

Satisfied members often bring their Age-in kids with them.

Member satisfaction affects more than renewal rates. It shapes future acquisition.

Our 2026 Medicare Age-In Study finds that among Age-Ins who rate their parent's Medicare insurer favorably, 55% expect to enroll with that same carrier. Among detractors, that number falls to 20%.

A poor member experience doesn’t just increase the risk of losing that individual —it can also undermine acquisition before your marketing team sends a single piece of mail.

How confident are you in what your current members are saying about you?

📄 Request the free SIP summary from our 2026 Medicare Age-In Study today! https://hubs.li/Q04jLl_H0

Did you know nearly 4 million Baby Boomers will age into Medicare this year?That shift represents one of the largest—and...
06/01/2026

Did you know nearly 4 million Baby Boomers will age into Medicare this year?

That shift represents one of the largest—and most complex—market opportunities in healthcare today.

To effectively reach this audience, plans and organizations need:
➤ Accurate enrollment projections
➤ Visibility into emerging market opportunities
➤ A clear view of engaged consumers in their service areas

👉That’s where the Age-In Market Assessment from Deft comes in.

Our mapping technology provides county-level insights on:
➤ Initial Medicare enrollments (ages 65–70)
➤ Pre-Medicare prospects (ages 60–64)

So you can better understand where growth is happening—and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Request a free demo to see it in action --> https://hubs.li/Q04jw9zJ0

Millions of Americans will age into Medicare this year. Most plans will market to them the same way they market to every...
05/29/2026

Millions of Americans will age into Medicare this year. Most plans will market to them the same way they market to everyone else. That’s a missed opportunity. 👇

For years, Medicare Advantage carriers focused on winning members during AEP. But the plans best positioned for 2027 and...
05/28/2026

For years, Medicare Advantage carriers focused on winning members during AEP. But the plans best positioned for 2027 and beyond ask a harder question:

Who are our next enrollees, and what do they actually WANT?

Our 2026 Medicare Age-In Study offers our most comprehensive look yet at the consumers about to enter Medicare. Based on a survey of nearly 2,000 age-in consumers and recent enrollees, it examines healthcare utilization at the condition level—mapping today’s health profiles to tomorrow’s benefit needs and product preferences.

💡Here’s one new finding that may impact your strategy: initial MA preference among age-in consumers has dropped to its lowest level since the onset of COVID. Benefit disruption and negative press are taking a measurable toll on first impressions—at exactly the moment when MA reimbursement is set to stabilize.

For carriers, agencies, and consultants, this study offers the intelligence to get ahead of that shift—including how health literacy, supplemental benefits, agent relationships, and digital marketing cadence influence the decisions of tomorrow’s beneficiaries.

📄 To request the free Single Insight Point (SIP) summary, contact your Deft representative or visit https://hubs.li/Q04j7MHR0

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