Center For Medicare Advocacy Conference Develops Medicare Beneficiary Complaint Process, USA

he Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc., (the Center), convened a working conference in January 2007 that designed a model for resolving Medicare beneficiaries' complaints about quality of care. Sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund, with assistance from AARP, the conference provided a forum for key stakeholders to discuss concerns and develop a blueprint for change.

Medicare beneficiaries and their advocates are concerned that this current process for resolving beneficiary complaints about quality of care has not been effective in providing fair and timely resolution of complaints. Concerns about the process include an inadequate resolution of beneficiary complaints about poor quality, a lack of information about proper care protocols, and the failure to provide expedited review of denials of care.