Medicare Rights
Center launches
Online Advocacy Network
to mobilize Americans to
speak out
about problems accessing health care
[New York, NY] – In an effort to
empower people with Medicare and their advocates to speak out about
the problems older adults and people with disabilities face
accessing good, affordable health care, the Medicare Rights Center (MRC),
a national consumer service group, is launching an online Advocacy
Network.
“We want to
ensure that the voices of people with Medicare who are struggling do
not go unheard by the policy makers in Washington,” said Robert M.
Hayes, president of MRC.
“With the cost
of health care—from premiums and copays to prescription costs—for
the 41 million older adults and people with disabilities on Medicare
rising faster than the rate of inflation, more and more people risk
falling into poverty, suffering needlessly and dying prematurely
because they cannot afford their health care,” Mr. Hayes said.
Information
on key Medicare policy issues. With 16 years’ experience
helping older adults and people with disabilities get good,
affordable health care, MRC understands how critical Medicare is
to consumers’ lives and is dedicated to bringing their
experience to the national debate.
MRC’s policy
priorities include:
Fighting
for easy access to affordable prescription drugs;
Advocating for people with disabilities to get the care they
need through Medicare;
Advancing equal coverage of mental health services (“mental
health parity”);
Urging
adequate support for competent consumer education resources;
and
Working
to expand the pool of people covered by Medicare to adults
ages 55-64.
Letter-writing campaigns. Policy makers are eager to hear from
their constituents about their concerns and problems. MRC hopes
that facilitating the letter-writing process will encourage more
people to advocate for themselves and take advantage of the
democratic process.
Newsletters. Each issue of Asclepios, MRC’s weekly health care
policy alert, highlights a timely Medicare-related policy issue
and educates people on steps they can take to voice their
opinion on these issues.
People can visit
www.medicarerights.org/action to participate in MRC’s Advocacy
Network and sign up for Asclepios today.