Proposed Rules are a Mixed Bag but Take Important Steps to Bolster Primary Care
September 18, 2025
Over the past week, Medicare Rights has submitted comments in response to two proposed rules from the Centers for Medicare
Join Us Live for a Discussion on Medicare, Democracy, and the Future of Health Care
Coverage and Benefits
Medicare provides health coverage to over 67 million older adults and people with disabilities, paying for important medical care in hospital and outpatient settings. Nearly 12.5 million beneficiaries also rely on Medicaid, which helps with affordability through the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), and covers services Medicare does not, such as long-term services and supports. The Medicare Rights Center supports strengthening Medicare and Medicaid, modernizing benefits and financial assistance, and bolstering the workers and caregivers who deliver this vital care.
House Committees Mark Up Medicare Bills That Aim for Improvements, but Have Unintended Consequences
September 18, 2025
This week, the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees met to review bills that aim to reduce
Comments on 2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)
September 15, 2025
Our comments are informed by our work helping callers to our National Helpline navigate and afford their care. These experiences drive us to support efforts within this rule to bring more sustainability and rationality to Medicare payment, including by establishing greater site neutrality.
Comments on the Proposed 2026 Physician Fee Schedule
September 12, 2025
Our comments are informed by our work helping beneficiaries, including callers to our National Helpline, navigate, understand, access, and afford their care. Based on this experience, we know many people with Medicare want and need to maintain deep and trusting relationships with their providers. Finding the right provider fit, spending time with that provider, and staying with that provider over the years is a priority for many people across Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
Reconciliation Bill Timeline Stretches Far Into Future, Giving Some Opportunities for Correction
July 17, 2025
On July 4, President Trump signed the damaging Republican budget reconciliation bill into law. But that does not mean each
Medicare Advantage Enrollees Need Better Information On Supplemental Benefits
June 26, 2025
Medicare Advantage (MA) overpayment allows plans to funnel more money into supplemental benefits, appealing to enrollees who want or need
Medicare Financing: Shifting the Focus to Sustainability in Addition to Solvency
May 21, 2025
This part of the series explores the origins and structure of Medicare financing. Through an issue brief, infographic, and video, it outlines the various sources of funding for the three major parts of Medicare and lays out how projections and costs have fluctuated over the program’s history.
Medicare Site Neutrality: Pursuing a More Rational Payment System
May 21, 2025
Under current site-specific payment rates, the same service can cost patients and Medicare vastly different amounts based on the location and hospital affiliation of the provider. This part of the series explains how these payment rules incentivize hospitals to vertically integrate routine care in order to drive up profits. Site-neutral payments offer a more rational alternative that would minimize arbitrary differences in cost and protect Medicare sustainability.
Proposed Rules are a Mixed Bag but Take Important Steps to Bolster Primary Care
September 18, 2025
Over the past week, Medicare Rights has submitted comments in response to two proposed rules from the Centers for Medicare
House Committees Mark Up Medicare Bills That Aim for Improvements, but Have Unintended Consequences
September 18, 2025
This week, the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees met to review bills that aim to reduce
Comments on 2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)
September 15, 2025
Our comments are informed by our work helping callers to our National Helpline navigate and afford their care. These experiences drive us to support efforts within this rule to bring more sustainability and rationality to Medicare payment, including by establishing greater site neutrality.
Comments on the Proposed 2026 Physician Fee Schedule
September 12, 2025
Our comments are informed by our work helping beneficiaries, including callers to our National Helpline, navigate, understand, access, and afford their care. Based on this experience, we know many people with Medicare want and need to maintain deep and trusting relationships with their providers. Finding the right provider fit, spending time with that provider, and staying with that provider over the years is a priority for many people across Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
Reconciliation Bill Timeline Stretches Far Into Future, Giving Some Opportunities for Correction
July 17, 2025
On July 4, President Trump signed the damaging Republican budget reconciliation bill into law. But that does not mean each
Medicare Advantage Enrollees Need Better Information On Supplemental Benefits
June 26, 2025
Medicare Advantage (MA) overpayment allows plans to funnel more money into supplemental benefits, appealing to enrollees who want or need
Medicare Financing: Shifting the Focus to Sustainability in Addition to Solvency
May 21, 2025
This part of the series explores the origins and structure of Medicare financing. Through an issue brief, infographic, and video, it outlines the various sources of funding for the three major parts of Medicare and lays out how projections and costs have fluctuated over the program’s history.
Medicare Site Neutrality: Pursuing a More Rational Payment System
May 21, 2025
Under current site-specific payment rates, the same service can cost patients and Medicare vastly different amounts based on the location and hospital affiliation of the provider. This part of the series explains how these payment rules incentivize hospitals to vertically integrate routine care in order to drive up profits. Site-neutral payments offer a more rational alternative that would minimize arbitrary differences in cost and protect Medicare sustainability.