Medicare Rights urges the administration to address disparities and inequities in order to improve health care and coverage for all. Medicare has long been a powerful tool to reduce injustice and inequality. The program played a pivotal role in “forc[ing] the desegregation of every hospital in America virtually overnight” and continues to offer coverage to all who qualify. But inequities remain. Every day, we see the destructive and persistent effects of institutionalized racism, individual bias, and systemic oppression. Medicare Rights welcomes the Biden administration’s commitment to addressing these problems directly, in ways that advance equity, justice, and access to care—including by strengthening Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.
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The Biden administration must reduce barriers to care by making coverage more available, accessible, and affordable. On our Helpline, we frequently hear from older adults and people with disabilities who live on modest or limited incomes and are struggling to access and afford their care. These financial challenges—which have in many cases been worsened by the coronavirus pandemic—along with rising health care and prescription drug costs, antiquated coverage rules, and burdensome program requirements can make it difficult for older adults and people with disabilities to obtain the care they need. The following reforms would help reduce these barriers to care by making Medicare stronger, easier to navigate, and more affordable.
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Medicare Rights asks the Biden administration to simplify Medicare enrollment in order to ensure active, informed, and meaningful beneficiary choice. A rapidly aging population, complex Medicare rules and timelines, and an ever-evolving health ca landscape means a growing number of individuals will face increasingly difficult Medicare coverage decisions in the coming months and years. The Biden administration must act without delay to better empower current and future beneficiaries to make optimal choices, both initially and annually.
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The Medicare Rights Center encourages the Biden administration to immediately respond to COVID-19 in ways that prioritize older adults and people with disabilities.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant economic fallout will have a lasting impact on people with Medicare and on the program itself. While additional interventions may be necessary as the situation evolves, the administration must first focus on reforms that are urgently needed to help people with Medicare maintain their health, safety, and independence.
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The Medicare Rights Center (Medicare Rights) looks forward to working with the Biden administration to advance policies that protect and strengthen Medicare as well as the health and economic well-being of those who rely on its coverage. To facilitate this dialogue, we respectfully submitted a set of recommended actions for President-Elect Biden and his transition team’s consideration. While the majority are administrative, some require external collaboration. We encourage the new administration to work with Members of Congress, state policymakers, and stakeholders to advance these and other solutions.
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The Medicare Rights Center (Medicare Rights) looks forward to working with the Biden administration to advance policies that protect and strengthen Medicare as well as the health and economic well-being of those who rely on its coverage. To facilitate this dialogue, we compiled a set of administrative actions for their consideration. We will also outline our legislative priorities for the 117th Congress.
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During the 2020 election cycle, voters should pay attention to candidates’ statements about the ACA, including their stance on its elimination. In this document, we present a few ways the ACA has changed health coverage and what’s at stake if it is repealed or eliminated.
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Medicare has been a lifeline for millions since its inception in 1965, but threats and uncertainties persist. To determine candidates’ views on Medicare, voters should monitor their statements and the positions they have taken. This is especially important in the 2020 elections, as recent years have seen legislative and regulatory efforts to rework the program, often in ways that would undermine beneficiary protections.
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For 2020, voters should pay close attention to candidates’ statements about Medicaid, including their vision for the future of the program. To help voters weigh in, this document outlines a few proposals to keep an eye out for that could transform the program for the worse.
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In 2018-2019, Medicare Rights staff and volunteers addressed more than 37,000 questions and issues through the organization’s national helpline. In addition, Medicare Rights’ free and independent online reference tool Medicare Interactive, designed to help older adults and people with disabilities navigate the complex world of health insurance, answered 6.1 million questions for people with Medicare, their caregivers, and professionals. This report will feature select helpline trends and highlight the most commonly sought Medicare Interactive answers, providing a glimpse into the information and coverage needs of Medicare beneficiaries and their families.
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