The Medicare Rights Center mourns the passing of our distinguished Board Member, Gerry Goodrich, whose lifetime commitment to excellence in

As a certified elder law attorney, Nancy Rice’s work often intersects with the Medicare Rights Center’s mission of helping people with Medicare understand their rights and benefits. Her practice, Rice & Quattrone, PC, specifically focuses on elder law, estate planning and administration, and guardianships.

In recent months, the Medicare Rights Center has been pursuing urgently needed reforms, seeking to improve the federal coronavirus response and advance the bipartisan Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification (BENES) Act (H.R. 2477/S. 1280).

Medicare Rights’ education staff has been hard at work monitoring coronavirus-related Medicare changes and translating them into free online resources to keep people with Medicare, caregivers, and professionals up to date on new Medicare rules and regulations.

Every day since the start of the coronavirus public health emergency, the Medicare Rights Center’s helpline counselors have been answering questions and resolving issues for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families across the country.

The Medicare Rights Center’s Annual Awards Event will be held virtually on October 19 at 6:00 PM. This year’s theme accurately depicts the organization and its partners since the coronavirus pandemic began: “Ready, Reliable, Resilient.” While Medicare Rights will miss seeing so many of its supporters in the ballroom, the organization is delighted that the online celebration will make it possible for many more to attend.

This is an extraordinarily difficult time for people with Medicare and their families. Since the coronavirus public health emergency began, the Medicare Rights Center has been fielding hundreds of calls from anxious older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers who need our help to access and afford the health care they need.

At Medicare Rights, we understand this is a stressful time for many. The situation in our cities and towns is changing rapidly.

Elizabeth Fowler is the executive vice president for programs at the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit private foundation supporting independent health policy research. Fowler recently returned to the Medicare Rights Center’s Board of Directors, having first served from 2006 to 2008. She has nearly 25 years of experience in health policy and health services research.

The Medicare Rights Center launched a consumer email channel this fall to provide a new way for New Yorkers and their families to get Medicare answers, with support from the New York State Health Foundation. By expanding individualized counseling to include an email channel in addition to the national helpline, Medicare Rights aims to empower a greater number of older adults, people with disabilities, and their families and caregivers to navigate Medicare.