Medicare Savings Coalition
The New York State Medicare Savings Coalition, led by the Medicare Rights Center, is an alliance of over 150 community-based organizations, advocacy groups, businesses and government agencies in New York State.
By bringing government officials and advocates together in dialogue, our meetings offer Coalition members the opportunity to review the latest information on implementing health care programs for people with limited incomes.
Coalition members stay connected through regular e-mail updates, conference calls, enrollment initiatives and advocacy projects. This ongoing exchange allows us to share knowledge about enrollment strategies and compare case scenarios.
Our Goals
- Increase enrollment in Extra Help, Medicare Savings Programs, Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC), and the New York State Prescription Saver Card.
- Help limited-income New Yorkers with Medicare navigate the drug benefit (Part D) and its difficulties, such as formulary restrictions
- Advocate for improvements to various health care–related public benefits.
- Work towards simpler application and recertification procedures for the Medicare Savings Programs.
Our Success
- Influenced Congress to reauthorize the QI-1 program, one of the three Medicare Savings Programs, every year since 2003.
- Won the elimination of the asset test for all three Medicare Savings Programs in New York State, helping individuals with resources above $4,000 (above $6,000 for couples) afford their Medicare Part B premium.
- Advocated for New York State to become a Medicare Part A Buy-In State. New York now purchases Medicare hospital coverage (Part A) for individuals who do not qualify for free Part A coverage based on their employment history.
- Created the Deputization Project, which has trained and works with over 700 health care and social work professionals in the five boroughs to help New Yorkers apply for the Medicare Savings Programs without having to visit their local Medicaid office.
- Eliminated the in-person interview requirement to apply for a Medicare Savings Program.
Click here to learn more about the New York Medicare Savings Coalition. If you or your organization is interested in joining, please contact us.