Grace McCormack, PhD

Grace McCormack is an applied economist working in the fields of public and health economics. Her research studies competition and regulatory design in public health insurance markets, such as ACA exchanges and Medicaid. Her current work is focused on the determinants and consequences of various dimensions of benefit design in Medicare Advantage.

Grace received her PhD from the economics track of the Harvard Kennedy PhD program (2022), where she was a pre-doctoral fellow at the NBER. She received her B.A. in economics from the University of Notre Dame (2016), where she worked at the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunity.

Recent Work

Medicare Advantage Costs Taxpayers 22% More Per Enrollee. Here’s How Payment Reform Could Help Close the Gap.

The overpayment of plans, amounting to $83 billion per year, is unsustainable. The Medicare Advantage payment system needs a broad reform that aligns insurers’ incentives with the needs of beneficiaries and taxpayers.

By Grace McCormack, PhD and Erin L. Duffy, PhD, MPH
Categorized in
- Articles
- Perspective
How Specialized Are Special Needs Plans? Evidence from Provider Networks

Although envisioned as a way to coordinate benefits between Medicare and Medicaid and serve the specific needs of the dually eligible population, only 46 percent of D-SNP plans feature distinct provider networks from standard MA plans offered by the same insurer.
Categorized in
- Research
- Journal Articles
Recent Cohorts Aging into Medicare Use More Counseling and Psychotherapy Than Past Cohorts

More recent cohorts aging into Medicare seek significantly more counseling and psychotherapy than prior cohorts, suggesting that plans must prepare to accommodate the needs of new Medicare entrants.
Categorized in
- Research
- Journal Articles
Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: The Choices Can Be Overwhelming

Nearly 70 million Medicare-eligible Americans have complicated coverage decisions during open enrollment, and they often face biased sales pitches or may lack access to impartial help.

By Grace McCormack, PhD and Melissa M. Garrido, PhD
Categorized in
- Articles
Growing Divergence Between Medicare Advantage Plan Bids and Payments to Plans

While risk-adjusted Medicare Advantage bids have decreased compared with risk-adjusted traditional Medicare spending, total payments to MA plans have risen partly because of the growing impact of payment adjustments.
Categorized in
- Research
- Journal Articles

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Grace McCormack, PhD's Bio

Recent Work

Medicare Advantage Costs Taxpayers 22% More Per Enrollee. Here’s How Payment Reform Could Help Close the Gap.

How Specialized Are Special Needs Plans? Evidence from Provider Networks

Recent Cohorts Aging into Medicare Use More Counseling and Psychotherapy Than Past Cohorts

Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: The Choices Can Be Overwhelming

Growing Divergence Between Medicare Advantage Plan Bids and Payments to Plans