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POLICY TOPIC

Policy Recommendations for the Biden Administration

Our Work

Policy Documents & Resources

Positions and Publications

Address Disparities and Inequities

Medicare Rights urges the administration to address disparities and inequities in order to improve health care and coverage for all. Medicare has long been a powerful tool to reduce injustice and inequality. The program played a pivotal role in “forc[ing] the desegregation of every hospital in America virtually overnight” and continues to offer coverage to all who qualify. But inequities remain. Every day, we see the destructive and persistent effects of institutionalized racism, individual bias, and systemic oppression. Medicare Rights welcomes the Biden administration’s commitment to addressing these problems directly, in ways that advance equity, justice, and access to care—including by strengthening Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.

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Positions and Publications

Reduce Barriers to Care

The Biden administration must reduce barriers to care by making coverage more available, accessible, and affordable. On our Helpline, we frequently hear from older adults and people with disabilities who live on modest or limited incomes and are struggling to access and afford their care. These financial challenges—which have in many cases been worsened by the coronavirus pandemic—along with rising health care and prescription drug costs, antiquated coverage rules, and burdensome program requirements can make it difficult for older adults and people with disabilities to obtain the care they need. The following reforms would help reduce these barriers to care by making Medicare stronger, easier to navigate, and more affordable.

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Positions and Publications

Simplify Medicare Enrollment

Medicare Rights asks the Biden administration to simplify Medicare enrollment in order to ensure active, informed, and meaningful beneficiary choice. A rapidly aging population, complex Medicare rules and timelines, and an ever-evolving health ca landscape means a growing number of individuals will face increasingly difficult Medicare coverage decisions in the coming months and years. The Biden administration must act without delay to better empower current and future beneficiaries to make optimal choices, both initially and annually.

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Positions and Publications

Immediately Respond to COVID-19

The Medicare Rights Center encourages the Biden administration to immediately respond to COVID-19 in ways that prioritize older adults and people with disabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant economic fallout will have a lasting impact on people with Medicare and on the program itself. While additional interventions may be necessary as the situation evolves, the administration must first focus on reforms that are urgently needed to help people with Medicare maintain their health, safety, and independence.

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