Dimitra Politi

Dimitra Politi is an economist with more than a decade of experience evaluating health care policies and supporting the operational oversight of programs implemented by federal agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Her expertise lies in the design and implementation of rigorous policy evaluations using quasi-experimental research designs, advanced econometric methodology, causal inference techniques, and large-scale administrative datasets, such as Medicare claims. 

Dr. Politi has led multiple mixed-methods evaluations and projects focused on the implementation and monitoring of innovative models of health care delivery and payment. In these roles, she has overseen the development of analytical methodologies, application of advanced statistical techniques, and production of policy-relevant reporting. Her work has informed program implementation, identified operational and policy vulnerabilities, and assessed impacts on Medicare spending, quality of care, service utilization, and beneficiary outcomes. She is particularly skilled at translating complex quantitative analyses and findings into actionable insights for policymakers and other stakeholders. 

At AIR, Dr. Politi serves as project director and principal investigator for the evaluation of CMS' IOTA (Increasing Organ Transplant Access) model, which aims to expand access to life-saving kidney transplants, maximize deceased and living organ donation, and improve care coordination. She is also a subject matter expert for the implementation and monitoring of CMS’ GENEROUS (GENErating cost Reductions fOr U.S. Medicaid) model, which aims to ensure fair and reasonable drug prices for Medicaid through CMS-led negotiations with drug manufacturers. In addition, she leads business development efforts and conducts project quality assurance reviews.

Prior to joining AIR, Dr. Politi was a research director at Acumen, LLC, where she led a multidisciplinary group of over 45 researchers and a portfolio of projects focused on the implementation and monitoring of innovative programs of health care delivery and payment, operations in Medicare Part D and health insurance exchanges, and network adequacy in Medicare Advantage. Her team supported federal and state agencies including CMS, the CMS Innovation Center, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), and the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. At Acumen, Dr. Politi served as project director for the evaluation of CMMI’s Enhanced Medication Therapy Management model, which tested whether providing Medicare Part D sponsors with regulatory flexibilities and payment incentives improved therapeutic outcomes or reduced Medicare expenditures. She also led the Wellness Prospective Evaluation, which focused on chronic disease management and prevention programs, and supported the evaluation of Health Care Innovation Awards in medication therapy management and shared decision making. Additionally, she served as project director for the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Implementation and Monitoring support project, and led ad hoc analyses of fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare for the Department of Justice. 

Dr. Politi was also tenured junior faculty at the School of Economics at the University of Edinburgh and a visiting assistant professor of economics at Brown University, with research focused on the link between health and economic growth.