Interning with the Center for Medicare Advocacy has been a positive, fulfilling, and educational experience, both professionally and personally. From the first staff meeting I attended, it was visible that the staff cares for each other beyond the office and has a great sense of humor. This healthy work environment was inviting and not once during my time at CMA did I feel the pressures of a toxic workplace that can make work feel unbearable. Communicating with staff was simple, open, and kind: I was encouraged to ask questions and as a curious student, I took full advantage of this opportunity. I started my internship with some familiarity with Medicare Advantage and limited knowledge of traditional Medicare. Writing this memo on my next-to-last day of this internship, I can confidently say that I know much more about Medicare than when I started this program. Our health care system is complex but working with CMA makes learning about it less daunting. However, I am not an expert in Medicare, but only sharper thanks to the Center.
I had the great pleasure of working closely with David Lipschutz, whom I had been in contact with since November 2020 regarding my interests in the Center. David asked me to research the effects of artificial intelligence on Medicare coverage determinations, a topic which the Center seems to have been wanting to look into for a while. Perhaps the greatest knowledge I gained from this internship was through research for this paper. David and I intend to publish this paper through the Center in the coming weeks after incorporating new examples from AI meetings/conferences this month. I also helped Matt Shepard update the Part D information on the Center’s website.
While remote, I still felt connected to the D.C. staff as I was invited to the weekly staff meetings and frequently communicated with them over Teams, email, etc. I have not yet met any of the staff but look forward to meeting them when safe. I feel so lucky to have learned so much about Medicare from a group of people are passionate about their work and the people they represent. I look forward to working with the Center in the future if the opportunity presents itself and recommend this internship to those wishing to expand their knowledge, gain practical experience, and work in a positive/fun environment.
Lyla Saxena
Health Policy Intern
Summer 2021