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The Medicare Advocacy Project
About The Project
The staff of the Medicare Advocacy Project is available to answer telephone
queries and to provide free advice and legal representation to clients. Staff
will listen carefully and ask questions designed to target the nature of the
problem or issue prior to giving advice. Depending on the nature of the inquiry,
MAP staff may ask individuals to come into the office or make a home visit for a
full exploration of the issues involved in each person's case.
Staff members will provide a link between the inquiry and the appropriate
response. Queries directly related to Medicare will likely be handled by MAP
staff members. If necessary, other GBLS staff may be brought in to deal with
issues that are not related solely to Medicare.
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Population Served
MAP is devoted to assisting both elderly and disabled people who
may have been unfairly denied Medicare. MAP will provide help by
giving advice or free legal representation. In some instances, MAP
can provide essential information that may assist the client in
making further inquiries or in seeking specific help. Informational
assistance is available in a variety of forms - by or by printed
materials.
Ordinarily, the first step in seeking help is made by the client,
through a phone call or a posted letter. With help and information
from the client, MAP can then assess the most appropriate manner of
providing aid to the client. MAP will respond to the request for
help in whatever method is specified by the client.
Where appropriate, MAP staff members will help find other experts
that may be able to offer solutions to the issue or problem of
concern to the client.
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Issue Advocacy
Frequently, issues presented to MAP cannot be resolved within the present context of regulations, policies or statutes. These issues may need broad exposure to be certain that they will not be ignored by responsible officials. They may need constant attention to bring about changes that help not only one client but many other people with similar issues.
Issue advocacy may take many forms. It may be possible to deal with staff in the Medicare oversight agencies and help them work through a method of resolving an issue. If a policy requires modification, the work that MAP undertakes for the client may need to be carefully tailored to assure that the change will be beneficial to all. Changes in regulations and statutes are more global, and require a significantly larger commitment of time and effort.
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Services Provided
MAP and Greater Boston Legal Services maintains a staff of attorneys and paralegals who are fully devoted to serving individuals who are unable to pay for legal representation. Our attorneys interview clients to be certain of the details in each persons case. The attorneys then determine, in conjunction with the client, the necessary steps that may need to be taken.
The first steps are normally telephone calls to determine the nature of the issue and the possibility that misunderstandings may have occurred. If appeals are necessary, the attorneys schedule an appearance with hearing officers to have the appeal formally heard. Paralegals usually assist the attorneys in exploring prior cases and preparing for the legal ramifications that may be involved in the case. If the appeal results in a successful outcome, the attorney turns to other issues. If a rejection of the appeal follows, the attorney and the client assess the need to proceed into further litigation.
All legal representation by attorneys and paralegals of MAP and the Greater Boston Legal Services are free to Massachusetts residents.
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