Public Policy
Our public policy initiatives address Medicare consumer issues and concerns on both the state and national levels. We testify before Congress, advocate for revisions to Medicare regulations, hold the performance of Medicare private health and drug plans up to public scrutiny, all in an effort to improve Medicare for consumers and provide system-wide solutions for the problems we hear about on the hotline.
By applying what we learn from our direct service and education work, the Medicare Rights Center can advocate for changes that will make Medicare work better for the people it serves. We regularly record demographic information from our counseling hotline, and also track emerging, persisting and waning trends in the Medicare program.
We constantly monitor changes in legislation and coverage guidelines for people with Medicare, and analyze and report on major issues and trends that affect access to good health care services.
Our current policy priorities are:
- Add Drug Coverage Option to the Original Medicare Program
- Reform the Medicare Private Health Plan Marketplace
- Make Low-income Assistance More Accessible
- Eliminate Waiting Period for People with Disabilities
The Medicare Rights Center doesn't accomplish all of this alone—our staff works with our volunteer Consumer Action Board to bring Medicare issues to the legislative forefront.
We also partner with our Policy Advisory Committee to prioritize our policy efforts so that we can effectively focus our energies on the most urgent issues.