January 29, 2014
A free roundtable session at NASI’s 26th Annual Research Conference, Wednesday, January 29, 2014.
To access PDF slides from this roundtable,
click on the respective speaker’s name below.
This event was a free roundtable session on Wednesday, January 29, 2014, Day 1 of NASI’s 26th annual research conference, Strengthening the Web of Financial and Retirement Security for Today’s Working Americans.
Roundtable Summary: With 10,000 Baby Boomers becoming eligible for Medicare each day, it is imperative that federal and state policymakers develop systems to minimize gaps in health coverage, needless costs and confusion among older adults and people with disabilities transitioning to Medicare. The potential pitfalls of managing transitions to Medicare are complicated by more than a demographic surge.
People newly eligible to Medicare who are still working must learn complicated coordination of benefits rules. Additional difficulties confront newly eligible beneficiaries who have suffered an injury and are settling their worker’s compensation, medical malpractice, product or liability cases. Americans covered under new insurance options made available by the Affordable Care Act, including Marketplace plans and expanded Medicaid, must navigate a still-emerging landscape when enrolling in Medicare. Low-income beneficiaries are most vulnerable during this transition, as some will lose access to Medicaid as a result of misaligned eligibility guidelines.
This roundtable will explore challenges for newly eligible beneficiaries transitioning to Medicare. Panelists will also identify needed policy changes, like standardized eligibility and assistance guidelines and enhanced education and outreach, to protect people new to Medicare from added health care costs and gaps in coverage.
Speakers:
- Joe Baker, President, Medicare Rights Center
- Rafael Gonzalez, Director of Medicare Compliance & Post Settlement Administration, Gould & Lamb
- Kevin Prindiville, Executive Director, National Senior Citizens Law Center
- Judith Stein, Executive Director, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc.
- Moderator: Lynda Flowers, AARP Public Policy Institute
This roundtable was underwritten by the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy.