My time as a summer Health Policy Fellow at the Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc.,(the Center) introduced me to the field of health law and provided me the opportunity to write about health related policies and procedures. The attorneys in the Washington, D.C. office view the internships as an opportunity to train the interns in their field. They patiently and happily answer questions and bring summer interns to various events and include them in tasks, assignments, and meetings that happen throughout the summer.
During my summer at the Center I was able to attend House Ways and Means hearings in Congress, research and write Weekly Alerts on various Medicare related topics, accompany attorneys to meetings with various Congressional health policy staffers, attend the National Academy on Social Insurance’s (NASI) day long events on Social Security and Medicare, and be present at the monthly National Leadership Coalition on Aging. The amount I learned about Medicare and health policy within a very short period of time was immense.
The attorneys at the Center are happy to let interns explore additional interests they might have as long as those interests are related to the healthcare field. For example, on the morning that the Hobby Lobby decision (exempting certain employers on religious grounds from providing health insurance coverage for contraception-related services for their employees) was announced, I was able to go up to the Supreme Court and witness the announcement of the decision, which was very exciting. Overall, my summer experience was excellent and I learned a vast amount. Everyone in this very friendly office is kind and helpful and incredibly dedicated to the work they do. They are an inspiring group of people and I am thankful to have been a part of it. I highly recommend this internship to law students who are interested in healthcare and specifically Medicare.