Alliance of Community Health Plans

2021 Annual Report

The ACHP Difference

The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) represents the nation’s top‑performing nonprofit health plans to improve affordability and outcomes in the health care system. ACHP member companies are provider‑aligned health organizations that provide high-quality coverage and care to 23 million Americans.

Driving Value in the Health Care System

ACHP and our member companies have acted on a pledge to take immediate, concrete steps to address affordability, enhancing the value of coverage and care.

Became the first and only national payer organization advocating for federal action on robust drug pricing reforms, including through price negotiation, inflationary caps, rebates and more.
Shaped COVID-19 testing guidance, capping costs and securing federal funding for testing.
Led bipartisan House re-introduction of the Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act.
Hosted a joint webinar with the White House on COVID-19 vaccination strategies.
Led the industry with member plans launching virtual-first coverage across multiple lines of business.

Inaugural 2021 Report on Affordability details member progress toward higher value health care

Issue Brief: Lowering Drug Costs through Transparency and Competition

The Voice of Nonprofit Health Plans

ACHP elevated the voice of our member organizations and influenced the most pressing health policies to advance member interests.

Secured enhanced and expanded ACA subsidies, reinsurance funding, a special enrollment period, expanded navigator resources and broadband support in the American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Shaped provisions in the Build Back Better Act, including extending American Rescue Plan Act subsidies and reinsurance funding, funding for home- and community-based services, continuous eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP, and reducing the cost of prescription drugs.
Protected 27 million Medicare Advantage seniors from congressional cuts to the program within the Build Back Better Act.
Secured bipartisan bill introduction to include audio-only telehealth encounters in Medicare Advantage risk-adjustment.
Secured implementation delays in interoperability and transparency in coverage rules.
Urged the Office of Personnel Management to improve FEHB shopping experience and quality data.
Engaged with HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the White House COVID-19 Taskforce and others to advance major policy initiatives.
Advanced member successes on telehealth, value-based care and social determinants of health at AcademyHealth’s National Health Policy Conference and Datapalooza and 43 other public events.
Garnered media coverage in U.S. News and World Report, Politico, Modern Healthcare, NEJM Catalyst, Health Affairs, Healthcare Dive, Becker’s Hospital Review and more.
Deployed a new brand video and targeted digital messaging campaign highlighting the unique approach of ACHP plans, generating 194,839 impressions and 146,916 video views.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra discusses MA, quality and community with ACHP Board of Directors

Letters sent to the Administration and Congress

Meetings with policymakers and staff

Issue Brief: Improve the Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB) Program Shopping Experience

Commitment to Health Equity

ACHP and its member organizations took important steps to advance more equitable access, treatment and health outcomes for everyone.

Assessed disparities of health plan quality performance, particularly related to delivering equitable care, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
Issued a white paper offering a comprehensive, intersecting approach for health organizations to advance health equity.
Released policy recommendations to remove obstacles to health equity within our nation’s health care system.
Published member successes in improving maternal health outcomes and equity as part of the Raising the Bar project in collaboration with the National Partnership for Women & Families.
Drew record audience to the virtual 2021 ACHP Annual Symposium and Fall Clinical Conference where members held rich conversations on health equity and mental health.

Analysis: Industry-Wide Underreporting of Racial and Ethnic Data for MA Plans

Hosted

Maternal Health Working Group meetings.

Inaugural Bernard J. Tyson Health Equity Award recognizing leaders’ dedication to health equity

Transforming Health Care Delivery

ACHP convened leaders to share best practices for improving outcomes, meeting quality benchmarks and delivering value to the communities they serve.

Gathered plan executives at the annual CEO Summit to discuss growth strategies for regional health plans, including a robust data pack pre-briefing on market trends in the health insurance sector.
Conducted a 6-month pilot project with Socially Determined to identify collaboration opportunities to use and deploy social risk data.
Participated in ABIM Foundation’s Building Trust Initiative to support promising initiatives that enhance trust in the health care system.
Produced record-setting attendance for the Spring and Fall Virtual Clinical Conferences and a COVID-19 summit, showcasing industry thought leaders and experts on equitable care for unique populations and the future of care.
Awarded a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) grant to launch the Rural Chronic Care Project.
Hosted a webinar on tackling high-cost specialty drugs.

Convened 20 participants from 10 plans at the Health Data Summit in Washington, D.C.

Hosted

virtual meetings, including a drug pricing series.

Assembled the Telehealth Interest Group to share best practices on addressing digital inequities and building partnerships.

Driving Performance Through Market Competitiveness

ACHP provided insightful data analysis and opportunities to discuss emerging trends for a competitive advantage, driving innovative solutions that lead communities to better health.

Revamped a data tool supporting ACHP’s CMS First Plan Preview benchmarking to include interactive features, leading to strategic conversations among members.
Debuted a dynamic Utilization Benchmarking report, allowing plan-specific benchmarks and comparisons for NCQA utilization measures.
Provided CEOs and market leaders with timely insight on national market trends to empower development of competitive, consumer‑focused initiatives.

Released interactive tools, including CAHPs benchmarking tool and Medicaid SnapShots^®, providing insight into trends.

Member Hubs one-stop-shop for ACHP analytics and resources on ACHP Connect

Quality Differentiates Our Members

ACHP members top quality and customer ratings year-after-year, leading an entire industry to better standards.

23 of ACHP's 24 members in Medicare Advantage received 4 stars or above from CMS' 2022 Star Quality Ratings, with one-third of all health plan contracts awarded the top score of 5 stars offered by ACHP member companies.
ACHP members received top honors from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) on key national health measures including prevention, treatment and customer satisfaction.
J.D. Power ranks ACHP plans top in customer satisfaction.
U.S. News & World Report named ACHP members in the 2022 Best Insurance Companies for Medicare Advantage and Part D Prescription Drug Plans rankings.

ACHP member plans offered EVERY commercial health product earning NCQA’s top score of 5 Stars.