Proposed Elimination of SHIPs Threatens Health and Independence of People with Medicare Millions of people turn to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs annually to navigate the complexities of Medicare Arlington, VA – The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a Fiscal Year 2017 budget appropriations bill that completely eliminates the $52.1 million […]

Social Security Letters Alert Eligible Medicare Beneficiaries to Missed Benefits Medicare Rights Center Can Help Older Adults Enroll in Low-Income Programs New York, NY—Beginning this week, people with Medicare will receive a letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA) if they may be eligible for help with their out-of-pocket medical and […]

Medicare Rights Center Applauds CMS Initiative to Help People with Marketplace Coverage Transition to Medicare Washington, DC—Today, heeding a call to action from more than 40 leading consumer advocates and health insurers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an initiative to help people with Marketplace plans transition to […]

Medicare Rights President Joe Baker Testifies at Congressional Hearing in Support of Part B Drug Payment Model Washington, DC—Today, Medicare Rights Center President Joe Baker testified in support of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposal to test new ways to pay for prescription drugs covered under Medicare […]

Medicare Rights Center Endorses CMS Proposal to Test Value-Based Payment Strategies for Part B Medications New York, NY—The Medicare Rights Center (Medicare Rights) today sent a letter to Sylvia Mathews Burwell, secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and Andy Slavitt, acting administrator of the Centers for […]

Last Chance for Eligible Individuals to Enroll in Medicare Part B — General Enrollment Period Ends March 31 — New York, NY—Consumers who are eligible for Medicare Part B but have not yet enrolled should do so before March 31, when this year’s General Enrollment Period (GEP) ends. Consumers who […]

Medicare Rights Center Provides Probing Questions to Ask Candidates to Determine their Positions on Protecting and Strengthening Medicare New York, NY—The Medicare Rights Center today released six questions to ask the 2016 presidential and congressional candidates to find out where they stand on protecting and strengthening Medicare. “The Medicare program […]

Statement on the President’s 2017 Budget, by Joe Baker, President of the Medicare Rights Center New York, NY—The President’s 2017 budget advances many worthwhile proposals for people with Medicare and their families. Among these are recommendations to rein in the rising cost of prescription drugs, to align enrollment and appeals […]

Last Chance for Medicare Advantage Plan Members to Switch to Original Medicare — Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period Ends February 14  — New York, NY—People with Medicare who are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan can switch to Original Medicare during the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MADP), which occurs every […]

People with Medicare Can Ignore Marketplace Enrollment Deadline but Those with Marketplace Coverage Nearing Medicare Eligibility Must Act –Failure to Transition from Marketplace Coverage to Medicare Could Result in Penalties and Gaps in Coverage— New York, NY—People with Medicare should not be confused by the approaching January 31 deadline to […]