The Medicare Rights Center and the Center for Medicare Advocacy Develop New Partnership with Support from The Retirement Research Foundation
–Organizations team up to protect and strengthen the health coverage and financial security of older adults and people with disabilities–

New York, NY–The Medicare Rights Center and the Center for Medicare Advocacy are proud to announce a new partnership to protect access to quality health coverage for older Americans, made possible with a grant provided by The Retirement Research Foundation. Medicare Rights and the Center for Medicare Advocacy will work to protect and strengthen the Medicare program and prevent harmful policies that would erode health coverage and financial security for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families—specifically stemming from changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicare, and Medicaid.

“Medicare Rights and the Center for Medicare Advocacy have a long history of collaboration and will amplify each other’s voices through this project, reaching unique audiences,” said Medicare Rights President Joe Baker. “Thanks to the generous support of The Retirement Research Foundation, we can formalize our partnership with the Center and expand upon previous successes throughout the next year.”

“We are grateful to The Retirement Research Foundation,” said Judith Stein, executive director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy. ”The Foundation’s support will strengthen our partnership with Medicare Rights and enhance both organizations’ ability to speak out for the people who rely on the ACA, Medicare, and Medicaid as challenges to these essential health programs continue.”

Together, Medicare Rights and the Center for Medicare Advocacy will capture the experiences of older Americans and their families through direct counseling and story collection work; leverage real-life experiences to educate and engage consumers, journalists, advocates, and policymakers around real and potential changes to health care insurance programs for older adults; and comment on and work to effect policies that could negatively impact access to health care for millions of older Americans.

The consequences of dismantling the ACA include a significant increase in the number of uninsured Americans, decreased health access and affordability for many Americans—particularly the 4.5 million Americans approaching Medicare age—and an erosion of the promise of both the Medicare and Medicaid programs. This new partnership will unite and streamline the collaboration between Medicare Rights and the Center for Medicare Advocacy, increasing the ability of each organization to focus on its strengths and reach people nationally with needed education about threats to the ACA, Medicare, and Medicaid, including how consumers, advocates, and other stakeholders can act to protect the promise of these programs.

Contact: Deane Beebe – dbeebe@medicarerights.org – 212-204-6248

____________________________

The Medicare Rights Center (www.medicarerights.org) is a national, nonprofit consumer service organization that works to ensure access to affordable health care for older adults and people with disabilities through counseling and advocacy, educational programs, and public policy initiatives.

The Center for Medicare Advocacy (http://www.medicareadvocacy.org) is a national, nonprofit, non-partisan law organization that works to advance access to comprehensive Medicare coverage and quality health care for older people and people with disabilities through legal analysis, education, and advocacy.

–end–