Judith Stein is the Executive Director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, which she founded in 1986. She has focused on legal representation of older people since beginning her legal career in 1975. From 1977 until 1986, Ms. Stein was the Co-Director of Legal Assistance to Medicare Patients (LAMP) where she managed the first Medicare advocacy program in the country. She has extensive experience in developing and administering Medicare and related advocacy projects and conferences, representing Medicare beneficiaries, producing educational materials, teaching and consulting. She has been lead or co-counsel in numerous federal class action and individual cases challenging improper Medicare policies and denials – including, Jimmo vs. Sebelius, which is opening doors to Medicare coverage and access to care for people with longer-term and chronic conditions.
Ms. Stein is an editor and author of books and articles regarding Medicare including the Medicare Handbook (Wolters Kluwer Publishers, 20th Edition, 2019; updated annually). She is a past President and a Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, a past Commissioner of the National Long Term Care Commission and the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging, an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, and a recipient of the Health Care Financing Administration (now CMS) Beneficiary Services Certificate of Merit. She was a delegate to the 2015 and 2005 White House Conference on Aging, received the 2020 Excellence in Elder Law Award from the National Elder Law Foundation, the 2018 Chairman’s Award from the American Medical and Rehabilitation Providers Association, the 2017 Association of Retired Americans-CT Advocacy Award, the 2015 Grantmakers in Aging Diversity Award, and the 2007 CT Commission on Aging Age-wise Advocate Award. Ms. Stein is a member of the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Elder Action Network (CEAN).