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Help Inspire the Future of Medicare at the
2026 National Voices of Medicare Summit
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 12:00 – 4:30 PM EDT
Defending the Public Promise
A Special Virtual Event
Join us as we convene community leaders in advocacy, policymaking, medicine, philanthropy, and academia to discuss the best practices, solutions, and opportunities in efforts to advance access to comprehensive Medicare coverage, health equity, and quality health care. These conversations will be grounded in, and shaped by, the real experiences and stories of beneficiaries and caregivers.
Sharing the transformative discussions of the Summit with the widest audience possible is important to us, so please join us to engage with your colleagues and the Center for Medicare Advocacy’s community.
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Natalia Chalmers DDS, MHSc, PhD
will receive the 2026 Alfred J. Chiplin, Jr. Social Justice & Advocacy Award
Featured speakers, panelists, and moderators to include: insurance reform advocate Wendell Potter; National Academy of Social Insurance CEO Rebecca Vallas; Former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley; Tim Engelhardt, Executive Director of the Aging & Disability Health Policy Lab; Sarah Coombs, Director for Health System Transformation at the National Partnership for Women & Families; Leo Cuello, J.D., Research Professor at the Center for Children and Families in the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University; Ariana Aboulafia, Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project Director at the Center for Democracy & Technology; David Lipschutz & Scott Perkins, CMA Co-Directors; Kata Kertesz, CMA Managing Policy Attorney; and CMA Founder Judith Stein.
Testimonial from First-Time Summit Attendee: “Everything was really well done. It was enchanting and engaging to have panels that had a good sense of humor, who respected one another, and were so kind to one another. You could actually feel the love of the team. I learned a lot and was so happy to have had the opportunity to be present. Thank you! I will never want to miss one in the future!” |
Register Now!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the National Voices of Medicare Summit?
A: In 2014, CMA Founder and Senior Advisor Judith Stein created the National Voices of Medicare Summit to present a multifaceted program known for its beneficiary-focused content, the first national conference of its kind. The Summit is widely renowned as a convening of community leaders in advocacy, policy-making, philanthropy, and academia to discuss the best practices, solutions, and opportunities in efforts to advance access to comprehensive Medicare, health equity, and quality health care. All of this is inspired by, and interspersed with, the real experiences and stories of beneficiaries and caretakers.
Past Summits have featured health care and elder justice champions such as former CMS Medicare Director Meena Seshamani, former CMS Administrators Bruce Vladeck and Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, and Medicare Directors Jonathan Blum and Sean Cavanaugh. Representatives Rosa DeLauro, Joe Courtney, and Debbie Dingell; Jamila Headley, Cathy Hurwit, Alfred Chiplin, Ady Barkan, Alex Lawson, Carmen Rhodes, Nicole Jorwic, Maame Gyamfi, Sarah Somers, Sophia Colley, Regina Blye, Rachel Madley, Cheryle Baptiste-Hill, Lisa Simon, John Marmarou, Scott Bane, Naomi Stanhaus, Nancy-Ann DeParle, Sarita Gupta, Chris Jennings, Ed Weisbart, Khelan Bhatia, Philip Marshall, Topher Spiro, Peter Thomas, Gretchen Jacobson, Frank Lin, Linda Niessen, Ben Wikler, Peter Morley, Melissa Burroughs, Afton Cissell, Julie Appleby, Jerry Rothkoff, Jacqueline O. Berkowitz, Catherine Johnson, Athena Jones, and CMA Founder Judith Stein.
Q: What is the Chiplin Social Justice & Advocacy Award?
A. Alfred J. (Chip) Chiplin, Jr., the long-time managing attorney of CMA’s Washington, DC office, was an admired leader in the elder law, disability and health care rights communities. To honor the memory of Chip’s long-term advocacy and commitment to civility and justice for all members of society, CMA has established this award in his honor. The Alfred J. Chiplin, Jr., Social Justice & Advocacy Award is given annually at the Summit to an individual who works to advance civility in society and social justice for all – as Chip did for decades. Past awardees include Ai-jen Poo, Ben Belton, Wey-Wey Kwok, Josephine Kalipeni, Vanessa Hill, Ashwani Jain, Luke Liss and Jamila Headley.
Q: Who should be interested in the National Voices of Medicare Summit?
A: Staff and volunteers from local and national health care organizations, advocates, attorneys, beneficiaries, caregivers, health care providers, researchers, policymakers, media, and anyone looking to discuss best practices, solutions, and opportunities to improve the quality of life for members of their community.
Q: How can I participate in the Summit?
A: Everyone in CMA’s community has the opportunity register for free to view the live webcast of the Summit.