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The Medicare Rights Center (Medicare Rights) is a national, 501(c)(3) nonprofit consumer service organization with offices in New York City and Washington, DC. Medicare Rights works to ensure access to affordable health care for older adults and people with disabilities through counseling and advocacy, educational programs and public policy initiatives. Since 1989, Medicare Rights has helped people with Medicare understand their rights and benefits, navigate the Medicare system and secure the quality health care they deserve. They are the largest and most reliable independent source of Medicare information and assistance in the United States.〔http://www.medicarerights.org/about-mrc/〕 ==Founding and Early Years (1989-1999)== In June 1989, the Medicare Rights Center was founded as the Medicare Beneficiaries Defense Fund (MBDF) by Diane Archer. One of the first actions of the fledgling organization involved (a lawsuit brought against the federal government ) on the grounds that the Medicare Explanation of Benefits (EOB) failed to mention limits on what a doctor may charge for a service or what a beneficiary must pay. The judge in the lawsuit noted that the EOB is “gobbledygook.” This same year, the National Consumer Helpline was born, run by one staff member (MBDF founder, Diane Archer) and one volunteer. The following year, in 1990, MBDF began publishing consumer-oriented Medicare pamphlets explaining, for example, how to access the (Medicare home health benefit ) and (how to appeal a denial of coverage ). By 1992, MBDF began a long tradition of connecting individual helpline stories to broader legal actions and policy work when it brought (a lawsuit against Memorial Sloan Kettering ) for balance billing, billing the beneficiary above the limiting charge. In the following years, with just around three staff, MBDF continued developing connections between its direct client work and its policy advocacy. The Clinton health plan proposal was introduced, providing a means for MBDF and other consumer groups to advocate for improvement of the Medicare program. An article was published in the ''(Journal of Long-Term Home Health Care )'' outlining eight issues facing people with Medicare based on counseling provided on MBDF’s helpline at this time. In 1996, MBDF changed its name to the Medicare Rights Center, Inc. (Medicare Rights). In 1997, with seven staff and 20 volunteers, Medicare Rights launched its first website. Also this year, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 was enacted, introducing the Medicare + Choice program, the precursor to today’s (Medicare Advantage program ). With the development of a consumer education guide called “Let’s Learn Medicare”, Medicare Rights’ Education Department was born. As a response to the enactment of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Medicare Rights launched its first national education initiative,“HMO Flash,” an effort to increase public awareness of HMOs (health maintenance organizations) and help consumers choose plans that meet their needs. The project resulted in the development and broad dissemination of a comprehensive reference guide of Medicare HMOs and around 30 tip sheets to help beneficiaries choose a plan and appeal denials of care. This same year, Medicare Rights also launched the first version of (www.medicarerights.org ). At the time, this website housed all of Medicare Rights’ educational content and newsletters. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Medicare Rights Center」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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