Join Us Live for a Discussion on Medicare, Democracy, and the Future of Health Care
This week, Medicare Rights submitted comments in response to the annual Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D proposed rule for 2027 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The proposed rule has a few positive ideas but reverses course in several important domains. If finalized, those changes would […]
Last month, the AARP Public Policy Institute released a report on the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), outlining the critical role these Medicare counselors have in improving beneficiary health and well-being. SHIPs provide objective, free, one-on-one assistance to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. With locations in every state, […]
Home Health Care Covered by Medicare For older adults and people with disabilities who have limited mobility, home health care—a wide range of health and social services delivered in their home—is a necessity. Medicare covers home health care when specific requirements are met: In these circumstances, Medicare-covered home health care […]
In December, the Trump administration released three proposed rules that target transgender individuals in ways that harm communities, ignore laws, and interfere with the practice of medicine. Medicare Rights opposes all three proposed rules. Ignoring Legal Precedent and Exceeding Authority The first proposal is an attempt to use regulations to […]
Extra Help The main federal program that provides Part D cost assistance is Extra Help, and many people enrolled in other cost-saving programs receive Extra Help coverage without having to enroll directly. This is because anyone with Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program (MSP), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is automatically enrolled into Extra Help. Even if you do not […]
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a majority staff report on UnitedHealth Group’s (UHG) efforts to maximize Medicare Advantage (MA) profits by “turning risk adjustment into its own business and siphoning off taxpayer money in breach of the program’s original intent.” The nation’s largest Medicare […]
This month, the Medicare Rights Center, with the support of the National Council on Aging, is releasing a new series of videos explaining Medicare benefits and programs. The series is designed to help people with Medicare and those who assist them better understand their coverage options and ways to save on costs. You can view these videos on our YouTube channel. Understanding and Enrolling in […]
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) runs from January 1 through March 31 each year. Unlike the annual Fall Open Enrollment Period, this window is limited to people currently enrolled in MA (excluding those with Medical Savings Accounts, cost plans, and PACE). They can make one change only, either switching […]
Late last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced awards from a new “Rural Health Transformation Program” to all 50 states. This fund was tacked on to the Republican-passed 2025 budget reconciliation bill—HR 1—amid backlash over how the bill’s massive Medicaid cuts could harm rural hospitals. Fund […]
