This week, two House committees met to review bills that aim to reduce coverage restrictions and costs for select services for certain Medicare beneficiaries. These important goals are, however, undermined by some components of the bills.

Over the past week, Medicare Rights has submitted comments in response to two proposed rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services dealing with how physicians, hospitals, and other providers get paid.

Medicare Rights' president spoke with Robin Hamilton on "Democracy Does" to encourage people to keep an eye on the evolving Medicare landscape and turn to community-based organizations for support getting care, reliable info, and cost-assistance programs. democracydoes.podbean.com/e/red-tape-a...

Follow Jamie's and Riley's journeys in our video to better understand how the same care can have wildly different price tags under Medicare, and how site neutrality offers a common-sense solution to inflated overpayments.

Currently, if someone is interested in a plan & has a provider they want to keep seeing, they must leave MPF. In addition, MPF does not show detailed information on supplemental benefits. CMS announced that it will be updating MPF to allow beneficiaries to search by provider & see directory info.

PTCs help nearly 93% of Marketplace enrollees afford insurance, reducing enrollee premiums from $619 to $113 per month, on average. Unless Congress acts, PTCs that help +22 million people buy ACA Marketplace plans will expire at the end of this year. www.medicarerights.org/medicare-wat...

Our latest infographic breaks down the payment systems at play driving up costs for Medicare and those it serves. We advocate for equal pay for equal service, regardless of setting. This would help sustain Medicare for this generation and the ones to come. www.medicarerights.org/policy-docum...

Arbitrary overpayments for some locations providing health services to people with Medicare drive up program costs and out-of-pocket spending. Read the brief to better understand the faulty math and how site neutrality can cut back on needless overspending. www.medicarerights.org/policy-docum...

When Medicare pays for services, there is one key factor that can cause a difference of thousands of dollars for identical procedures: location. Medicare typically pays hospital outpatient departments more than independent physicians’ offices.

While satisfaction with Medicare remains high, challenges paying for it persist. Enrollees make significant, often burdensome contributions. Many face additional costs due to Medicare’s lack of comprehensive coverage for critical services.

We are proud to conclude our Medicare Sustainability series with the release of new materials explaining the potential site-neutral payments have to save money for Medicare and the people it serves.

Affordable access to immunizations is crucial for lowering barriers to necessary care and improving long-term health outcomes. Medicare covers vaccinations as preventive care, but skepticism against and politicization of scientific expertise continue to pose threats to vaccine access and research.

Medicare Rights applauds the recent introduction of the BENES 2.0 Act (H.R. 4960) in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bipartisan bill would have the government provide notice to people approaching Medicare eligibility about basic enrollment rules.

The report predicts incomes for the highest 10% of earners would rise by an average of 2.7% by 2034, mainly driven by tax cuts, while those of the lowest 10% would fall by 3.1%, mostly because of cuts to programs such as Medicaid and food aid.

People can think they're doing everything right, only to learn too late that they missed a Medicare enrollment deadline, resulting in a lifetime of higher premiums, unexpected bills, or breaks in coverage. No one should face that simply because they didn’t have the right info.

Nearly 1 in 4 adults provided ongoing care for someone with a complex medical condition or a disability this past year, a 45% increase since 2015. This surge underscores the critical role of family caregivers and the urgent need for reforms.

A new KFF analysis shows that ACA insurers are hiking premiums by a median rate of about 18%, the largest increase since 2018. These numbers reflect a great deal of uncertainty, inflation, and economic instability affecting the health care market.

Medicare Rights' New York Policy experts have released a new paper focused on helping people gain access to Medicare Savings Programs. The paper, supported by the West Health Policy Center, includes case studies and policy recommendations taken from the essential work of our national helpline.

Our latest infographic examines Medicare's trajectory—with most Medicare beneficiaries in MA plans + sometimes relying on biased guidance to choose plans. We have recommendations to simplify beneficiary choice & protect personal and program finances. See it on www.medicarerights.org/policy-docum...

Medicare payments to Medicare Advantage plans continue to outpace Original Medicare spending, and transparency issues within Medicare Advantage hinder effective evaluations and beneficiary decision-making.

Credit reporting agencies and lenders are again free to use unpaid medical bills when determining credit worthiness—a practice that especially harms people with high medical needs and expenses.

Sixty years after the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, we celebrate the progress these programs have achieved but know there is still much work to be done to secure accessible and affordable health care for all older adults and people with disabilities.

Our new video dives into how too many Medicare Advantage plans drive up costs for the Medicare program and for people with Medicare. In it, we have recommendations for supporting beneficiary decision making and protecting Medicare sustainability.

Disability Pride Month must be a reminder of the advocacy and activism of the disability community, not only a celebration of the ADA. Because disability is a natural and often fluid part of the human experience, advancing disability rights benefits everyone.

Together, Medicare and Medicaid continue to be the bedrock of our nation’s health care system and critical pillars for enrollee well-being. Despite their clear popularity and proven successes, the programs face headwinds.

Republican lawmakers argued that, in evaluating the OBBBA, they could use a “current policy” baseline. The “current policy baseline” was an inflated number, making the OBBBA appear to have a lower price tag.

The sheer number of MA plans overwhelms people with Medicare and drives up Medicare program costs. Read the brief for more context & more solutions to get people the care they need at a price they--and Medicare--can sustain. www.medicarerights.org/policy-docum...

We're excited to announce Part 2 of our Medicare Sustainability series and share new materials explaining the overabundance of Medicare Advantage plans and how to better support people with Medicare navigate plan decisions—all while saving Medicare dollars.

A recent paper found that both PDPs and MA-PDs are shifting costs to enrollees in the form of higher deductibles and increased use of coinsurance, rather than copays, in response to changes from the Inflation Reduction Act.

We explore some of the reconciliation bill timelines, focusing only on health-related aspects of the bill that are likely to impact people with Medicare. As these and other changes take effect, advocacy and engagement remain critical.

Our volunteers are crucial in our work to make Medicare accessible to all in need. They include current and former nurses, teachers, lawyers, and others from all walks of life who bring with them diverse experiences and a passion for helping others.

The Kennedy v. Braidwood Management decision preserves access to preventive services for people with ACA and other plans, including immunizations and screenings, at no cost to the person covered. Medicare Rights joined an amicus brief earlier this year in support.

Because so much is still to be decided, engagement and advocacy remain critical. There will be opportunities to weigh in as states work to stand up to these new requirements and to help shape their roll out at the federal level.

The devastating cuts passed by Republicans in Congress threaten the health, well-being, and economic security of millions of older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, working families, and children. www.medicarerights.org/media-center...

Yesterday, Senate Republicans passed a devastating bill that would slash Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP and strip coverage from 17 million Americans to pay for tax cuts that disproportionately benefit high income earners. Attention now turns to the House. There’s still time to make a difference!

The colossal tax giveaway proves that Republicans are willing to sacrifice Medicaid and Medicare to pay for tax cuts. The bill now goes back to the House, where it started. We call upon all House members to embrace this second chance to do the right thing. www.medicarerights.org/media-center...

After doubling down & deepening the House's proposed cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, the ACA, & SNAP, the Senate is expected to vote on a reconciliation bill as early as this evening. Tell your senators: NO CUTS TO HEALTH CARE. NO CUTS TO SNAP. #HANDSOFFMEDICAID

As we honor the Stonewall Generation and the broader LGBTQ+ community this Pride Month and beyond, we remain committed to advancing policies and programs that promote health equity, expand access to home and community-based services, and protect critical lifelines like Medicare and Medicaid.

Questions like whether MA insurers offer adequate networks to access supplemental benefits, whether they are of value to plan members, and whether plan marketing tactics are appropriate can't be answered without more and better public information.

KFF finds the bills would likely increase the financial burden associated with paying for Medicare Part B. In 2024, one in ten Medicare beneficiaries spent more than 10% of their annual income on Part B premiums. This means they lived on $21,000 or less.

Despite the catastrophic, irreparable damage their bill would do, Senate Republicans plan to vote on it next week. This rushed schedule means now is the time to go all in with your advocacy.

Medicare Advantage must give better information on supplemental benefits to help all Medicare beneficiaries make informed choices, as current details are often scattered, incomplete, and can lead to frustration and costly mistakes. www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

Senate Republicans are doubling down on the harmful budget bill recently passed in the House—proposing even deeper cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, the ACA, and SNAP to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy. Millions of older adults, people with disabilities, and families would lose essential care & support

A new article by @citizencohn.bsky.social in @thebulwark.com explains how the Republican budget puts health care access + affordability at risk for people with Medicare assistance programs—and how Medicare Rights is working to protect access to critical benefits www.thebulwark.com/p/yes-they-a...

Medicare Rights president Fred Riccardi and senior counsel for education and federal policy Casey Schwarz weighed in on the perilous nature of turning 65 and not knowing if you should enroll in Medicare.

The House reconciliation bill would make the largest Medicaid cuts in the program’s history, but that would not reduce anyone’s need for care. It would just shift the full cost of care onto states, a burden that would ultimately fall on the shoulders of older adults and people with disabilities.

After having a stroke, Mr. Thompson discovered he had been cut off from Medicare due to an error across federal agencies. It left him frustrated and fearful of having another stroke without access to care. Then he found the Medicare Rights Center.

Eliminating Medicare Advantage overpayment should be a priority in building a more sustainable Medicare program BUT with Medicaid and Medicare under threat, we should focus on a sustainable future for these programs, not rhetoric that discredits the health coverage which millions of Americans need.

Despite the unprecedented scale of the House bill’s cuts to health care and food assistance, it would still raise the deficit by at least $3 trillion due to significant tax breaks that disproportionately favor high-income earners.

Though the cuts in the package may seem contained and targeted to lower-income Americans, this legislation poses dangers to the health, lives, economic stability, and quality of life of everyone in the United States who will ever need health care or insurance coverage.