Many of the most familiar voices for long-term call to the National Hotline Service of the Medicare Rights Center are our volunteers. Our volunteers join U.S. attorneys for health insurance issues and complex cases weekly, including current and former nurses, teachers, attorneys and others – professionals from all walks of life who bring a wide variety of experiences and are passionate about helping others. Some of them are Medicare beneficiaries themselves, speaking to callers on the helpline as peers. Others learn about health insurance from scratch during the comprehensive training, which all volunteers must do before answering the call.
Volunteers handle phone calls with expertise and compassion
Scott, a volunteer for a hotline volunteer for more than a decade, is such a volunteer: He had no previous experience with Medicare when he first learned about the Medicare Rights Center while reading the news. He first participated in the training at night, completing the education module to learn the basics and shadow staff’s help call to build his expertise. Now, he deals with a variety of and difficult health insurance issues every week, from explaining skilled nursing facilities coverage to navigating multi-step appeals to denying coverage.
The most meaningful part of the experience, Scott said, is that “it can definitely help someone who is overwhelmed by the complexity of health insurance.” His concern and sympathy for the callers he consulted was obvious: He shared the caller’s frustration when they were misled or rejected coverage, and after the call ended, he continued to take root for them. Scott said there are certainly difficult and frustrating situations, and he ran into the limits of the health insurance system and couldn’t help the caller saying, “But the more people are far more than the frustrating people.”
The work is “interesting and important” and the training provides excellent preparation for a variety of health insurance topics.
Ginny, another volunteer at the Hotline Service Line, also described her work as “really beneficial.” The work was “fun and important” and the training provided excellent preparation for the various health insurance topics she dealt with. She also highlighted the support and kindness of Medicare rights personnel, a decisive part of her volunteer experience.
Colleagues and collaborators, friends and advocates: The important role of volunteers
Our volunteers are crucial collaborators in our work, making Medicare accessible to everyone who needs it. They are colleagues and friends of Medicare rights personnel and volunteers, and they are important advocates of the healthcare community. We are honored to work with them and celebrate their dedication. Every year, we thank them for their hard work and advocacy at the Spring Volunteer Appreciation Lunch and honor members of our community in the annual welfare of the fall.
Scott stressed that at this point, the caller knew that the person who provided them with information had no ulterior motive and did not try to sell them anything.
Our staff and volunteers are proud to be accurate, impartial health insurance information. Scott stressed that at this point, the caller knew that the person who provided them with information had no ulterior motive and did not try to sell them anything. As a volunteer, he said: “We are not trying to sell anything to you. We don't even have any sales! Our entire mission is to inspire and explain how Medicare works so that callers can be better consumers.”
More information about our volunteers and opportunities
Last year, our volunteers served over 7,600 hours of service, providing personalized consultation and education to members of the Medicare community. If you are interested in volunteering at the Medicare Rights Center, please visit Medicarerights.org/volunteer to learn more and apply.
