On April 24, 2024, the Center for Medicare Advocacy held its 11th annual National Voices of Medicare Summit and Senator Jay Rockefeller Lecture at KFF in Washington, DC. The theme of this year’s Summit was Pathways to Change. Center for Medicare Advocacy Executive Director Judy Stein, Georgetown University Professor and President of the Center’s Board of Directors Judy Feder, as well as the Center’s Communication’s Director, Matt Shepard, opened the Summit for in-person attendees and the nearly 500 nationwide attendees participating online.
David Lipschutz, the Center’s Associate Director, hosted an informative discussion about Medicare with Patricia Neuman, Sr. V.P. & Director, Medicare Policy, KFF. Together with patient advocate, Peter Morley, they provided framing for the day.
Luke Liss, Pro Bono Partner at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, was honored at the Summit with the 2024 Chiplin Social Justice & Advocacy Award. Liss leads Wilson Sonsini’s pro bono legal advocacy work. His pro bono work with the Center includes assistance in the Center’s nationwide class action that won appeal rights for certain Medicare beneficiaries who are placed in hospital “observation status” and in Jimmo v. Sebelius, which is opening doors to Medicare-covered services for people who need care to maintain their conditions or slow decline.
Liss spoke of being drawn to the Center’s mission and passion for advocacy when its former litigation director, Gill Deford, told him, “you are on the side of the angels when you are doing this work.” This was particularly profound for Liss, given the support he received from his mother, his “angel” during his own injury and health struggles. This further informed his desire to assist individuals who might not have the same support he was fortunate enough to have.
“. . . I just think about all the people who don’t necessarily have that in their lives, or don’t have somebody with them who can walk with them through these really vulnerable times. . . . your health can change in an instant. It really can. So, I think that is what is so special to me about all of your work and about CMA’s work … is you really do walk on the side of angels for a living and you live with that every day.”
Liss also spoke of the close working relationship he has with the Center for Medicare Advocacy, and the impact of Alfred J. Chiplin (Chip) on the Center’s work. “[Chip’s] legacy echoes so much in my experiences with the Center for Medicare Advocacy, with our great friends at Justice in Aging too.”
Liss continued, “I have always been so impressed with [Center’s] heart, and their skill and just innate kindness and determination to advocate for the most vulnerable in our society. I think it is really special.”
The Summit also featured a panel discussion on various approaches to advocacy, moderated by CMA Senior Policy Attorney Kata Kertesz and presentations from Melissa Burroughs, Director of Public Policy, CareQuest, Afton Cissell, Senior Counsel, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, TX, and Luke Liss.
Scott Perkins, the Center’s Operations Director, was joined by Athena Jones, Home Care Chair, SEIU Virginia 512, and Regina Blye, Center for Medicare Advocacy Board Member and Chief Program & Policy Officer, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation,in a powerful call to action, imploring the audience, and society, to value and invest in caretaking.
Kathleen Holt, the Center’sAssociate Director, discussed the importance of advancing access to Medicare-covered care through direct assistance. Holt highlighted the Center for Medicare Advocacy’s home health advocacy for Catherine Johnson, Patient Advocate, who was also featured at the Summit. Alice Bers, the Center’s Litigation Director, provided background on the class-action lawsuit, that seeks to ensure that beneficiaries with long-term disabilities can access the Medicare-covered home health aide services they require to remain safely in their homes.
Carmen Rhodes, Senior Advisor/Program Director, Be a Hero, Alex Lawson, Executive Director, Social Security Works, and Wendell Potter, 2020 Senator Jay Rockefeller Lecturer, spoke in a moving tribute to the life and work of Ady Barkan, the inspirational co-founder of Be a Hero, who died from complications of ALS in 2023.
Cathy Hurwit, Senior Advisor to Lower Drug Prices Now and member of the Center’s advisory board, was honored with the 2024 Senator Jay Rockefeller Lecture. Hurwit served for 20 years as chief of staff to Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), where she had responsibility for universal health care, senior and labor issues. Prior to that, Cathy was a legislative affairs specialist at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), legislative director of Citizen Action, co-chaired the health task force of Jobs with Justice, and was the founder and chair of the Campaign for Health Security.
Hurwit explained her approach to addressing the societal issues that can seem intractable, such as achieving health care expansions. “. . .whenever I come to an issue, that is the way I think about it. It is where do we want to go, how do we get there, what are the obstacles in the way and then how do we get around those obstacles. What is the team that we need to put together in order to get around the obstacles. . . So where are we going? We know the fight we are having now, we want universal, quality, affordable health care.”
Hurwit continued, “[w]e need to make sure we protect traditional Medicare and that we confront the rise, not just of Medicare Advantage, but of corporate health care that is seeping throughout the country, whether it is private equity or third-party subcontractors. We need to do that, and we need to do that together.”
Hurwit applauded the Center for Medicare Advocacy’s work fighting to improve Medicare for all beneficiaries. “We also need to add benefits to Medicare. You have heard about dental, vision and hearing. I’m so grateful to the Center for Medicare Advocacy for the work they are doing on home health and making sure people know what is there for them now if they know their rights and they have people fighting for them.”
The Center for Medicare Advocacy thanks our awardees, all our presenters, our sponsors, and all of YOU for attending the Summit in-person or virtually.
May 2, 2024 – K. Kertesz