Mission Statement
The Center for Medicare Advocacy’s mission is to advance access to comprehensive Medicare coverage, health equity, and quality health care for older people and people with disabilities by providing exceptional legal analysis, education, and advocacy.
About the Center for Medicare Advocacy
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The Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) is a national, non-profit, law organization that works to advance access to comprehensive Medicare coverage, health equity, and quality health care for older people and people with disabilities. Founded in 1986, CMA’s work includes legal assistance, advocacy, education, analysis, policy initiatives, and litigation of importance to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide, with an emphasis on the needs of people with longer-term and chronic conditions. Our systemic advocacy is based on the experiences of the real people who contact CMA every day. Headquartered in Connecticut and Washington, DC, CMA also has attorneys in CA, MA, GA and WI.
A list of the Center for Medicare Advocacy’s publications and products is available here.
CMA’s staff act as consultants and trainers for groups that are interested in learning about health care rights, Medicare coverage and appeals, or in developing Medicare advocacy projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are you Medicare?
No, we are not Medicare and we are not part of Medicare or the government. We are a national, non-profit law organization. We work to advance access to Medicare and quality health care through all sorts of advocacy on behalf of older and disabled people.
2. Are you a law firm?
Yes – but in a unique way. CMA is a non-profit, public interest law firm, staffed with attorneys, advocates, nurses, and technical experts. We represent individuals, provide legal analysis and education, and advocate at the national level and in federal court to ensure fair access to Medicare and quality health care for older and disabled people.
3. Can anyone contact CMA for help – and you will take their case?
Anyone can contact CMA to obtain information and assistance with our many self-help packets, available for free on our extensive website, but CMA is only funded to provide direct legal assistance for people from Connecticut. We have substantive priorities and sometimes represent people outside CT with those concerns – including, for example, obtaining Medicare to maintain or slow decline, not just to improve an individual’s condition, eliminating hospital observation status, and advancing Medicare coverage for oral health care, effective off-label medications, and prostheses.
4. What are the major issues you’re working on?
In addition to our over-arching goal of preserving a structurally sound Medicare program, we have substantive priorities including obtaining Medicare to maintain or slow decline, not just to improve an individual’s condition, eliminating hospital observation status, preserving a comprehensive Medicare program, and advancing Medicare coverage for oral health care, effective off-label medications, and Medicare coverage of prostheses and durable medical equipment.
5. Who works for the Center for Medicare Advocacy?
CMA is staffed by attorneys, advocates, nurses, and technical experts.
6. How is the Center for Medicare Advocacy funded?
CMA is funded through competitively bid contracts and grants, writing, consulting, honoraria, attorneys’ fees, and donations. We are always in need of funding and work creatively to enhance and diversify our funding base.
7. What are some of the Center for Medicare Advocacy’s biggest achievements?
The Jimmo v. Sebelius settlement is one of our most important victories. Jimmo requires that Medicare rules and decision-makers provide coverage for skilled nursing and therapy needed to maintain a person’s condition, rather than apply an illegal standard requiring a beneficiary to improve in order to receive coverage for their care.
8. What are you doing to advance national legislation?
We are often asked to testify in Congress and weigh in on legislation. Examples include such topics as Medicare appeals, hospital observation status, Medicare Advantage participant rights, access to durable medical equipment and prostheses.
9. Who founded the Center for Medicare Advocacy?
Our Executive Director, Judith Stein, founded CMA in 1986. Back then it was just her and a Total Phone. Now CMA is a nationally known force for the protection of Medicare and Medicare beneficiaries.
10. Who are some of the Center for Medicare Advocacy’s major partners?
CMA works with many other organizations, including Arnold Ventures, the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation, Team Gleason, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, Justice in Aging, Medicare Rights Center, Vermont Legal Aid, AARP, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, CT Health Foundation and others.
11. Do you support political candidates? Do you lobby?
CMA is non-partisan. We do not endorse candidates. We are not lobbyists. We support policies that open access to quality health and therapeutic care for older and disabled people and respond to requests from legislators and other policy-makers.
12. Which presidential candidate has the best track record on Medicare?
Lyndon Johnson! But if you mean current and future candidates, look to those who favor a strong traditional program, rather than further fragmentation and privatization, which has proven to be fiscally wasteful, and ineffective for our neediest beneficiaries.