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.
Staff from the Medicare Rights Center presented on the opioid crisis and Medicare coverage of substance use disorder treatment at the 2019 Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) National Conference. SMPs and SHIPs are state-based agencies that assist people with Medicare and their caregivers. SMPs empower people with Medicare to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, while SHIPs provide local and unbiased Medicare counseling. As a partner of the SHIP Technical Assistance Center, Medicare Rights provides ongoing technical assistance and training for SHIP counselors throughout the nation.
Medicare Rights helpline volunteer Amy Friedner is an accountant by training, but later went back to school to get her degree in nutrition and became a registered dietitian. Her interest in health didn’t stop there, though. After moving back to New York City from the suburbs five years ago, Amy was looking for volunteer opportunities in the health care field.
Medicare’s annual Fall Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is a busy time for beneficiaries and advocates alike. From October 15 to December 7 each year, people with Medicare can make changes to their coverage, such as switching Part D prescription drug plans, or between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Each fall, Medicare Rights provides both counseling and education to help people with Medicare weigh their options.
This June, the Medicare Rights Center celebrates 30 years of getting Medicare right. Our policy goals are informed by 30 years of serving people with Medicare on our national helpline and through our educational programs. This anniversary represents an important opportunity to look forward and explore how policymakers can make the Medicare program even better.
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.
Staff from the Medicare Rights Center presented on the opioid crisis and Medicare coverage of substance use disorder treatment at the 2019 Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) National Conference. SMPs and SHIPs are state-based agencies that assist people with Medicare and their caregivers. SMPs empower people with Medicare to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, while SHIPs provide local and unbiased Medicare counseling. As a partner of the SHIP Technical Assistance Center, Medicare Rights provides ongoing technical assistance and training for SHIP counselors throughout the nation.
Medicare Rights helpline volunteer Amy Friedner is an accountant by training, but later went back to school to get her degree in nutrition and became a registered dietitian. Her interest in health didn’t stop there, though. After moving back to New York City from the suburbs five years ago, Amy was looking for volunteer opportunities in the health care field.
Medicare’s annual Fall Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is a busy time for beneficiaries and advocates alike. From October 15 to December 7 each year, people with Medicare can make changes to their coverage, such as switching Part D prescription drug plans, or between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Each fall, Medicare Rights provides both counseling and education to help people with Medicare weigh their options.
This June, the Medicare Rights Center celebrates 30 years of getting Medicare right. Our policy goals are informed by 30 years of serving people with Medicare on our national helpline and through our educational programs. This anniversary represents an important opportunity to look forward and explore how policymakers can make the Medicare program even better.
