Decision in Alexander v. Price Means Medicare Patients Could Gain Right to Appeal Placement on “Observation Status” and Avoid Large Medical Bills Eighty-four-year-old Nancy Niemi of North Carolina was hospitalized for 39 days earlier this year after her doctor sent her to the emergency room. It took weeks to stabilize her blood pressure and she … Read more →

For Immediate Release July 28, 2017 Contact: Matthew Shepard, 860-456-7790 MShepard@MedicareAdvocacy.org Washington, DC – Early this morning the Senate failed to pass the latest attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The following is a statement from Judith Stein, Executive Director and founder of the Center for Medicare Advocacy: The failure of the Senate to pass the … Read more →

For Immediate Release July 25, 2017 Contact: Matthew Shepard, 860-456-7790 MShepard@MedicareAdvocacy.org Washington, DC – Today the Senate narrowly passed a key procedural vote to open debate on one or more health care reform bills that will be voted on in the coming days. While it is still unclear what mystery bill(s) the Senate will actually vote on, … Read more →

May 25, 2017 – WASHINGTON, DC. – Health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicare and Medicaid is under assault. The Congressional Budget Office finally released its estimate regarding the devastating impact of the AHCA bill that passed the House earlier this month. Now a select group of Senators is considering its own … Read more →

— Advocates Oppose Key Provisions in the American Health Care Act — May 22, 2017 Contact: Center for Medicare Advocacy – Matthew Shepard: 860-456-7790, mshepard@MedicareAdvocacy.org Medicare Rights Center – Mitchell Clark: 212-204-6286, mclark@medicarerights.org Justice in Aging – Vanessa Barrington: 510-256-1200, vbarrington@justiceinaging.org Washington, DC— More than 75 national organizations sent a letter to Senate leadership today, … Read more →

For Immediate Release Contact: Matthew Shepard, 860-456-7790 mshepard@medicareadvocacy.org May 4, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC — “By four votes, the House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) today, a bill that guts the Affordable Care Act (ACA), decimates Medicaid, and undermines Medicare,” stated Judith Stein, founder and executive director of the Center for Medicare … Read more →

March 24, 2017 – WASHINGTON, DC — Today the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill that would gut the Affordable Care Act (ACA), dramatically cut Medicaid payments to states, and undermine Medicare. In an attempt to secure additional votes, the bill keeps getting worse for … Read more →

14 million people will become uninsured in 2018 if the proposed Affordable Care Act repeal legislation becomes law according to yesterday’s Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Report, (3/13/2017). The American Health Care Act proposal, which has passed two key committees in the House of Representatives, would cause 24 million people to lose coverage by 2026 and … Read more →

March 7, 2017, Washington, DC – Last night House Republicans presented a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and cut Medicaid payments to states.  While the new bill, “America Health Care Act” (AHCA) lacks either an estimate of how many people will lose their health insurance coverage as a result of the bill … Read more →

— Advocates Oppose Medicaid Block Grants and Per Capita Caps — March 3, 2017 Contact: Center for Medicare Advocacy – Matthew Shepard: 860-456-7790, mshepard@medicareadvocacy.org Justice in Aging – Vanessa Barrington: 510-256-1200, vbarrington@justiceinaging.org Medicare Rights Center – Mitchell Clark: 212-204-6286, mclark@medicarerights.org Washington, DC — Today, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, Justice in Aging, the Medicare Rights … Read more →

On February 16, 2017, the Jimmo v. Sebelius court approved a Corrective Statement to be used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to affirmatively disavow the use of an “Improvement Standard” for Medicare coverage.  The government will use the statement as part of its Corrective Action Plan, which was ordered by the … Read more →

Replace – verb – 1. To place again; to restore to a former place, position, condition, or the like. Retrench – verb – 1. Reduce amount of, cut down; economize Regress – noun –  2. Movement backward to a previous and especially worse or more primitive state or condition February 21, 2017 – Washington, DC … Read more →

February 17, 2017 – WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee held a confirmation hearing for Seema Verma, President Trump's nominee for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Ms. Verma is currently president, CEO and founder of SVC, Inc., a national health policy consulting company. “While short on specifics, it was clear … Read more →

For Immediate Release Contact: Liz Posner lposner@douglasgould.com 646-214-0514 February 9, 2017 – WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate voted by a narrow margin of 52 – 47 to confirm Rep. Tom Price as Secretary of Health and Human Services. In light of Sec. Price’s previous statements threatening Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, the Center … Read more →

For Immediate Release Contact: Matthew Shepard mshepard@medicareadvocacy.org 860-456-7790 Feb. 9, 2017 – In a decision released on February 8, 2017, a federal judge allowed Medicare hospital patients seeking a right to appeal their placement on “outpatient observation status” to proceed with their lawsuit. The Barrows case, now called Alexander v. Cochran, is a proposed nationwide … Read more →

In a decision released February 2, 2017, the federal judge overseeing the Settlement Agreement in the Medicare “Improvement Standard” case (Jimmo v. Burwell) ordered the Secretary of Health & Human Services to carry out a Corrective Action Plan to remedy the Department’s noncompliance with the Settlement.  In August, 2016, Chief Judge Christina Reiss, of the … Read more →

January 18, 2017 – WASHINGTON – Today U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R – Ga.) faced a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to determine his qualification to become Secretary of Health and Human Services. Medicare experts from the Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) have the following analysis of his statements. Rep. … Read more →

January 13, 2017 – WASHINGTON – On January 18, 2017 U.S. Rep. Tom Price (R – Ga.) will face a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to determine his qualification to become Secretary of Health and Human Services. Details are pending regarding an additional hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. Medicare … Read more →

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 13, 2017 Contact Center for Medicare Advocacy – Matthew Shepard: 860-456-7790, mshepard@MedicareAdvocacy.org Justice in Aging – Vanessa Barrington: 510-256-1200, vbarrington@justiceinaging.org Medicare Rights Center – Mitchell Clark: 212-204-6286, mclark@medicarerights.org On January 13, 2017, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, Justice in Aging, Medicare Rights Center and 65 other organizations that represent older people … Read more →

Nominations Of Rep. Tom Price To Head The Department Of Health & Human Services And Seema Verma To Head The Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services Threaten Medicare and Medicare Beneficiaries November 29, 2016 – Despite statements during the campaign that he would protect Medicare, the President-Elect is indicating otherwise with his selections of Rep. … Read more →

For Immediate Release Contact: Toby S. Edelman, Senior Policy Attorney TEdelman@MedicareAdvocacy.org, (202) 293-5760 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has just released a comprehensive revision of federal nursing facility regulations.   The regulations and explanatory material (over 700 pages total) are available here.  The positives for nursing facility residents include expanded training requirements, and a … Read more →

For Immediate Release Contact: Matthew Shepard, mshepard@medicareadvocacy.org or 860-456-7790. Aug. 18, 2016. Burlington, Vt.  In an Opinion and Order filed late yesterday and released this morning, Chief Judge Christina Reiss, who oversees the “Improvement Standard” case (Jimmo v. Burwell, No. 11-cv-17 (D.Vt.)), ordered the federal government, through its Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), … Read more →

For Immediate Release Contact: Matthew Shepard, Communications Director MShepard@MedicareAdvocacy.org, (860) 456-7790 August 9, 2016 – Although required by law to issue decisions within 90 days of receiving a request for Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) review, Medicare’s Office of Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) was consistently taking a year or more to complete the task.  Last week, however, … Read more →

For Immediate Release Contact: Matthew Shepard, Communications Director MShepard@MedicareAdvocacy.org, (860) 456-7790 July 14, 2016 – The Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) is thrilled to be partnering with The John A. Hartford Foundation to improve care for older adults with long-term and chronic conditions. With the Foundation’s generous two-year grant, CMA will be able to focus … Read more →

Action is needed for the 30 million Americans affected by hearing loss Access a recording of the briefing at: https://cc.readytalk.com/registration/#/?meeting=sfxfevabid3j&campaign=cslq7e4xvr5g June 23, 2016 – WASHINGTON – In a noon-time briefing, health and advocacy experts urged policymakers to update Medicare to cover hearing services. Hearing loss affects nearly 30 million Americans, but only 1 in 5 … Read more →

Millions of people turn to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs annually to navigate the complexities of Medicare Arlington, VA (June 16, 2016) – The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a Fiscal Year 2017 budget appropriations bill that completely eliminates the $52.1 million in funding for the Medicare State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). The Center … Read more →

“The June 2, 2016 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine rightly named hearing loss as a public health priority and social health responsibility. The Report’s findings demonstrate the urgent need to update Medicare coverage to reflect the serious health issues that stem from hearing loss. “Hearing loss affects nearly 30 million Americans, … Read more →

As previously reported, a court preliminarily approved settlement in the case of Exley v. Burwell, 3:14-cv-1230 (JAM) (D. Conn.), in March of this year. Since then the government requested and the plaintiffs agreed to a revision in the proposed settlement. Because of this revision, the parties are posting notice to the class again and the … Read more →

CT Sen. Ted Kennedy, Jr. presents Center for Medicare Advocacy Executive Director Judith Stein with a citation at the Center's 30th anniversary party. On Wednesday, April 13, 2016 the Center for Medicare Advocacy held a reception at the Connecticut State Capitol to celebrate 30 years working for fair access to Medicare and health care.  The … Read more →

Beneficiaries Across the Country Still Denied Needed Coverage Due to Illegal Use of Improvement Standard March 1, 2016 – Today, Plaintiffs’ counsel, the Center for Medicare Advocacy and Vermont Legal Aid, filed a Motion for Resolution of Non-Compliance with the Settlement Agreement in the landmark case, Jimmo v. Sebelius. The filing comes after three years … Read more →

For Immediate Release November 18, 2015 Contact: Maria Myotte, mmyotte@douglasgould.com, 720 352 6153 Find the Department of Health and Human Services Departmental Appeal Board Decision of Medicare Appeals Council here: http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Back-MAC-decision.pdf   In October, the Medicare Appeals Council (MAC), Medicare’s top appeal unit, reversed years of earlier decisions that thwarted an appeal of a hospice … Read more →

July 29, 2015 – The 50th anniversary of Medicare (July 30) gives us an opportunity to reflect on all it has accomplished to advance the health and well-being of families throughout the country. It also reminds us what could have been better – and what could be improved. We are thankful for the vision and … Read more →

July 16, 2015 WASHINGTON, DC – Steve Gleason, former NFL standout athlete for the New Orleans Saints, has redefined what it means to be a hero. Diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2011, Steve’s mind is unaffected by the disease, but he can no longer move any part of his … Read more →

Today, in concert with the White House Conference on Aging, the Administration announced the results of a concerted effort on the part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to improve the information available to individuals becoming eligible for Medicare.  The Medicare program has complicated rules about how … Read more →

June 25, 2015 Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in King v. Burwell (No. 14-114), a case challenging one of the central pillars of health insurance coverage offered through the Marketplaces, also known as Exchanges, created through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The case challenged whether tax credits and subsidies that make health care more affordable for … Read more →

A federal judge in Connecticut has certified a nationwide class of beneficiaries who are challenging the Medicare program’s failure to render decisions at the administrative law judge (ALJ) level within the 90 days required by law.  Earlier in the year, the judge had denied the government’s motion to dismiss in the case, Lessler v. Burwell … Read more →

 “Beneficiaries Would Pay Too Much, With Too Little in Return” March 24, 2015 – The Center for Medicare Advocacy believes it is in the best interest of Medicare beneficiaries and their doctors to find a permanent solution to the broken physician payment formula called the “Sustainable Growth Rate” (SGR). “Unfortunately, the SGR replacement package from … Read more →

Today, the House Budget Committee released “A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America.” Once again, the budget includes a proposal to create a “premium support” – or voucher – option for future Medicare beneficiaries, starting in 2024. Medicare vouchers would convert much of Medicare from a defined benefit into a defined contribution program. This would … Read more →

Contact:  Ali Bers, Litigation Attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy               (860) 456-7790, abers@medicareadvocacy.org               Michael Benvenuto, Project Director, Vermont Legal Aid, Inc.               (802) 343-0967, mbenvenuto@vtlegalaid.org Burlington, VT: The Center for Medicare Advocacy and Vermont Legal Aid filed a class action lawsuit against Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to stop … Read more →

Washington, D.C. – December 19, 2014: The Center for Medicare Advocacy, and the rest of the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR), an alliance of leading national consumer and clinician organizations, expressed disappointment over the recommendation approved today by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to recommend “site-neutral” payment for certain Medicare patients in need of … Read more →

Concerns about the threat to patients raised in a letter to MedPAC and testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Washington, D.C. – The Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR), which represents leading consumer and clinician organizations, today raised serious concerns with proposals that would divert patients who need intensive inpatient hospital rehabilitation to … Read more →

CMS Rescinds Restrictive Policy and Will Reconsider Technological Advances CMS announced yesterday that it has begun the process of updating its Medicare coverage policy for Speech Generating Devices (SGDs). A new SGD National Coverage Determination (NCD) is expected to be completed by July 31, 2015.  While CMS considers a new coverage rule for SGDs, it … Read more →

Twenty-one months after winning a national class action lawsuit that sought to overturn Medicare's practice of denying skilled maintenance care to patients who did not meet an "improvement standard," plaintiff Glenda Jimmo is finally receiving Medicare coverage for skilled home health maintenance care benefits she was denied in 2007. A federal court case in Vermont … Read more →

– New legislation would protect patients from being dropped by doctors without cause – Bill is also co-sponsored by Senator Sherrod Brown – More than 10,000 Americans recently urged Congress to support this legislation October 28, 2014 ­­– The Center for Medicare Advocacy and the Medicare Rights Center held a joint telephone conference today with … Read more →

August 26, 2014 – The Center for Medicare Advocacy filed a nationwide class action lawsuit in United States District Court in Connecticut today (Lessler et al. v. Burwell, 3:14-CV-1230, D. Conn.). The five named plaintiffs, from Connecticut, New York and Ohio, have all waited longer than the statutory 90-day limit for a decision on their … Read more →

Mansfield, Conn. July 28, 2014 – The Medicare trustees reported good news for Medicare today. The Trustees’ annual report finds the life of the Medicare Trust Fund has been extended another four years since their 2013 report, and an additional 13 years from their last projection before the Affordable Care Act passed. The annual report[1] … Read more →

The Center for Medicare Advocacy’s 'Rubber Stamp' suit highlights the fact that 98% of Medicare appeals are denied at the first two levels of review June 5, 2014 – The Center for Medicare Advocacy filed a complaint in United States District Court in Connecticut yesterday against Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, on behalf … Read more →

Inspector General's Report Underscores Need for Better Staffing and Better Enforcement of Quality Standards March 5, 2014 – The Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently reported that 32% of Medicare beneficiaries who went to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and spent an average of 15.5 days in the SNF in August 2011 experienced … Read more →

February 24, 2014 – The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is reining in overpayments to private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by bringing MA payments closer to what traditional Medicare spends on a given beneficiary. The insurance industry and some legislators suggest that these overpayment reductions are harmful "cuts" to Medicare. This is not true. "Private Medicare … Read more →

January 24, 2014 – Today marks the one-year anniversary of the landmark Jimmo v. Sebelius settlement.  The Jimmo case was brought in 2011 by the Center for Medicare Advocacy and Vermont Legal Aid on behalf of a nationwide class of Medicare beneficiaries who were denied Medicare coverage and access to necessary health care or therapy … Read more →