The Second-Half Playbook: What Medicare Advantage Leaders Should Focus on Before MY2026 Ends

We're halfway through the MY2026 measurement year. At this point, the question isn't 'What's our strategy?' That should have been answered months ago. The real question is: Where should we focus the time and resources we have left? In this episode of The Execution Gap, Dr. Peter Saah explores why the second half of the Medicare Advantage measurement year is fundamentally different from the first — and why organizations that continue operating as if it's still January often leave performance on the table. This episode discusses the shift from building capacity to allocating scarce capacity, why activity is no longer enough, and how executive leaders should think differently about chart retrieval, abstraction, provider engagement, and operational priorities as year-end approaches. Key topics include: • Why the management problem changes at mid-year • Activity versus impact • Capacity versus allocation • Why not every chart carries the same value • How to prioritize remaining retrieval opportunities • The executive mindset needed to finish MY2026 strong One principle anchors the entire discussion: The first half of the measurement year builds capacity. The second half allocates scarce capacity.