One of the most popular sessions at RISE West 2025 was a panel discussion conducted in partnership with the Camden Coalition that featured three patient advocates who discussed their challenges within the health system and ways to improve member experience. Here are four of their suggestions:
Provide easy-to-understand benefits
Laura Carroll, who lives in a small rural community in Colorado, cares for her disabled husband, who is dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. She urged those who work in the Medicare Advantage industry to write plans that are easy to understand and allow for an apples-to-apples comparison with other carriers so she can figure out what each one covers to determine which one provides access to the greatest level of care.
Invest in the social drivers of health
When panelists were asked what they would change to improve the care experience if they were the CEO of a Medicare Advantage or Medicaid plan, Carroll said she would invest in housing, food, and mental health.
“If your family doesn't have healthy food on the table, if you're concerned about having a good roof over your head, if you are concerned about the safety and wellbeing of the humans in your home, you are never, ever going to be physically well. We must start addressing the social drivers of health in our communities so that we can all rise and thrive together,” she said.
Provide comprehensive behavioral health benefits
Dionne L. Stalling, a rare disease patient who serves as a caregiver for her mother and also is the founder/executive director of Rare and Black, a nonprofit organization that aims to empower and uplift Black patients living with rare disorders, said her first order of business would be to invest in more mental health benefits. She said she’d also advocate for licensed clinical social workers to be paid for services they provide to adults under Medicaid and Medicare.
Eliminate prior authorization requirements
Alan Coker, who lives in Manchester, Conn., and has both Medicare Advantage and Medicaid through the HUSKY Health Program, said he would eliminate prior authorization requirements across the board. “Don't put families, individuals through the stress of waiting on your medication or waiting on treatment for the child,” he said. “
And if there had to be someone authorized to review requests for medical services, he said he’d find a qualified doctor who is trained, skilled, and has empathy—and wouldn’t rely on AI for anything.