What Deft Research does

Deft Research is a Minneapolis-based healthcare market research firm founded in 2005 that operates as the "insight and foresight engine" for health insurance carriers, health systems, and distribution intermediaries. The company is structured around two flagship syndicated research services—the Senior Market Insights Service (SMIS) covering Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Part D, and SNP segments, and the Commercial Market Insights Service (CMIS) covering ACA individual/family plans and commercial group markets—published on a calendar cadence throughout the year. These are complemented by custom research engagements (Deft+ Consulting), in-house qualitative services (focus groups, in-depth interviews, 12-month Plan Member Advisory Panels), and a growing suite of recurring data tools including the MA Growth Tracker, MAPD + PDP Disruption Tool, Medicare Market Assessments, List Scoring, and the Non-Commissionable/Exit Tracker.

The underlying technology stack is anchored on primary survey research with proprietary methodologies—notably conjoint analysis with attached insurance product identifiers, an adaptive choice-based conjoint methodology, a population-level Health Segmentation Classification scoring service, and the Member Plan Stability Index (MPSI)—all delivered through the Deft on Demand video portal, the Deft Archive, and online simulation tools. In 2025 the company achieved HITRUST CSF certification, enabling handling of PHI/PII and unlocking higher-value engagements such as own-member research, claims analysis, HEDIS/CAHPS analytics, and integration of survey data with claims or EHR records.

Deft Research generates revenue primarily through annual subscription-like purchases of syndicated studies (with pre-order discounts for clients committing before December 31), custom research professional services engagements, and standalone or bundled data tool subscriptions. Sales are conducted via a direct enterprise field motion through the company website, with quote-based pricing and dedicated client services representatives. The company is privately held, founder-owned (Richard Hamer, Dan Freier, and Randy Herman), and operates from a single Minneapolis headquarters with 11-50 employees under a leadership team drawn from UnitedHealthcare, Procter & Gamble's Healthcare Consumer Institute, Fidelity Investments, and Independence Blue Cross.

Name

Deft Research

Legal name

Deft Research

Website

https://deftresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Deft Research is a Minneapolis-based, privately held healthcare market research firm founded in 2005 that sells syndicated consumer insight studies, custom research, and data tools to Medicare and commercial health insurance carriers, brokers, and health systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Market Research

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB), Healthcare Outcomes & Real-World Evidence (RWE) Analytics (BPAHALAN)

Keywords

• Healthcare market research
• Medicare consumer insights
• Conjoint analysis services
• Health insurance research
• Syndicated research studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Syndicated Research Studies: Annual subscription-like model where clients purchase access to syndicated research reports covering Senior Market Insights Service (SMIS) and Commercial Market Insights Service (CMIS). Studies are published on a calendar schedule throughout the year (Q1-Q4), covering topics like Medicare Shopping and Switching, Age-In studies, Dual Eligible studies, Individual and Family Plan studies, and benefit design conjoint analyses. Reports typically include 70-100 slides, expert presentations, Deft on Demand video access, and Executive Research Briefs.
2. Custom Research Services: Bespoke research engagements tailored to specific client needs, including custom survey design, proprietary analysis, and consulting services through the Deft+ Custom Research Consulting offering.
3. Data Tools and Analytics: Standalone and add-on data tools including MA Growth Tracker, Market Assessments, List Scoring, Disruption Tool, and Non-Commissionable/Exit Tracker. These tools are sold separately or bundled with syndicated reports and provide ongoing analytical insights.
4. Qualitative Services: In-house qualitative research services including focus groups, in-depth interviews, member shop-alongs, plan member advisory panels, and brainstorming sessions.
5. Local Market Add-On Studies: Geographic-specific versions of national studies providing reporting that highlights specific nuances within service areas. These are add-on purchases to national studies with longer delivery timelines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Deft Research is a healthcare market research firm that sells syndicated consumer insights studies, custom research services, and proprietary data tools to health insurance carriers, health systems, and agents. The firm's research covers the Medicare (Advantage, Supplement, Part D, SNP) and commercial/ACA health insurance markets, using survey-based primary research methodologies including conjoint analysis, member experience studies, and benefit design simulations.

Product overview

Deft Research is a healthcare market research firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of syndicated studies and data tools for the Medicare and commercial health insurance markets. The core offerings include two primary syndicated research services: the Senior Market Insights Service (SMIS) covering Medicare Advantage, MedSupp, and Part D segments, and the Commercial Market Insights Service (CMIS) covering ACA individual/family plans and commercial group markets. These are complemented by custom research services, Deft+ consulting, and in-house qualitative services (focus groups, IDIs, advisory panels). The data tools suite includes the MA Growth Tracker, MAPD + PDP Disruption Tool, Medicare Market Assessments, Non-Commissionable and Exit Tracker, and List Scoring services. Deft also provides the Deft on Demand video platform for study presentations and the Deft Archive for historical study access. The company's research spans benefit design conjoint studies, shopping and switching studies, member experience and onboarding research, digital tools adoption studies, SNP-specific research, and health segmentation studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Senior Market Insights Service (SMIS) Annual syndicated research service covering the Medicare market for health insurance carriers, including studies on senior shopping and switching behavior, member experience, benefit design, digital tools adoption, and Special Needs Plans.
• Commercial Market Insights Service (CMIS) Annual syndicated research service for the commercial and ACA Individual and Family Plan market, covering consumer shopping, switching dynamics, member experience, network satisfaction, and benefit design preferences.
• Custom Research Services Bespoke research engagements tailored to specific client questions, including custom survey design, proprietary analysis, and consulting delivered beyond the syndicated report offerings.
• Deft+ Custom Research Consulting Consulting service that provides expert analysis and strategic guidance based on Deft's research findings, helping clients apply syndicated insights to specific business decisions.
• Qualitative Services In-house qualitative research offerings including focus groups, in-depth interviews, member shop-alongs, Plan Member Advisory Panels (MAPs), and brainstorming sessions for health insurance clients.
• Deft on Demand Online video portal providing full-length expert presentations and 5-minute preview segments of Deft's syndicated studies, enabling on-demand access for purchased clients.
• Deft Archive Online calendar and archive of all Deft Research studies spanning multiple years (2020-2026), organized by date and market segment.
• MA Growth Tracker Online dashboard providing monthly growth data for all Medicare Advantage and PDP contracts at county, state, and national levels, using CMS enrollment and benefit data for enrollment visualization.
• MAPD + PDP Disruption Tool Market analysis tool tracking benefit changes at national and county levels, identifying seniors who may be forced to switch plans due to terminations and comparing carrier benefit offerings year-over-year.
• Medicare Market Assessments Market assessment tools examining General Medicare, SNP, and Age-In markets down to county level, helping marketers and strategic planners quantify Total Available Market opportunities.
• List Scoring Prospect scoring service that evaluates mailing list prospects' propensity to purchase MA or MedSupp plans, respond to direct mail, prefer HMO or PPO, and work with agents across senior and commercial markets.
• Non-Commissionable and Exit Tracker Tracking service monitoring public announcements of carrier decommissioning and market exits, providing real-time updates on MA and PDP disruptions affecting organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for MA and MedSupp plans dropped sharply in 2025—by 9 and 10 points respectively, the largest annual declines Deft Research has recorded, enabling clients to anticipate market disruption.
• +6 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Advisory Board (Optum): Advisory Board, owned by UnitedHealth Group's Optum, produces healthcare research and insights for provider and payer executives. Its payer-side research overlaps with Deft's MA member-experience work, though it is broader in scope and vertically integrated with a major carrier.
• KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation): KFF is a large, established non-profit health policy and health insurance research organization publishing widely cited surveys and analyses on Medicare, ACA, and employer coverage. It competes for mindshare and policy-level research attention but is non-commercial and broader in scope than Deft.
• Ipsos Healthcare: Ipsos is a global market research firm with a substantial healthcare practice serving payers, providers, and pharma. It offers broader geographic coverage and multi-vertical research capabilities, making it an incumbent that insurance carriers may pair with or substitute for Deft on larger global engagements.
• Forrester Research: Forrester is a large research and advisory firm covering technology, financial services, and healthcare with a dedicated healthcare practice. It overlaps with Deft on healthcare consumer trends and CX research but addresses a broader set of business functions.
• J.D. Power: J.D. Power is a broad consumer insights firm with a dedicated healthcare practice producing member and patient satisfaction studies for Medicare Advantage carriers and providers. It competes for MA member-experience research budgets but serves multiple verticals beyond healthcare.

Direct peers

• SSRS: SSRS is a survey research firm with a strong healthcare and public opinion practice, conducting proprietary survey-based research for insurers, foundations, and government agencies. It competes for custom healthcare research RFPs and shares Deft's primary-survey methodology.
• Maru Research: Maru Research is a custom and syndicated consumer research firm with a dedicated healthcare practice serving insurers, providers, and pharmaceutical clients. It overlaps directly with Deft in syndicated healthcare consumer insights and custom survey design.
• Greenwald Research: Greenwald Research is a consumer and voter research firm with an established healthcare and benefits practice serving many of the same insurance carriers, employers, and government clients. It is the most directly comparable competitor to Deft's syndicated and custom consumer insights model in the health insurance space.
• Press Ganey: Press Ganey is a large healthcare experience analytics firm measuring patient and member experience across providers and payers. It overlaps with Deft's member-experience and CAHPS-adjacent research, though it is more weighted toward provider-side measurement.
• NRC Health: NRC Health is a healthcare consumer and patient experience research firm providing syndicated benchmarks and custom research to health systems and plans. It overlaps with Deft's consumer-insights and member-experience research, particularly for health system and provider clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DeftResearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/DEFTResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deft-research-llc-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deft Research