Medicare News
| For Immediate Release: | Contact: |
| Thursday, January 11, 2001 | CMS Office of Public Affairs 202-690-6145 |
For questions about Medicare please call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit www.medicare.gov. |
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HOWARD COUNTY, MD., RESIDENT HONORED FOR HELPING MEDICARE AND MEDICAID BENEFICIARIES IN NEED
A Howard County, Md., resident has received an award for helping Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries who need special medical care.
Peggy Felthouse, who lives in Elkridge, was selected by Robert A. Berenson, M.D., Acting Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), as employee of the month for December. A nine-year HCFA employee, Felthouse works as a health insurance specialist for the agency that administers Medicare and Medicaid. Felthouse is one of about 2,800 employees in the agency's Baltimore headquarters.
Felthouse was honored for her outstanding work in the Center for Beneficiary Services' Division of Information and Assistance, where she is the primary contact for handling difficult cases involving beneficiaries with a medical hardship.
"Peggy Felthouse has been recognized for her invaluable service and dedication to our beneficiaries," Berenson said. "She is an advocate for those beneficiaries who may require some extra help."
Felthouse handles various issues including, for example, helping arrange life-saving surgery for a beneficiary who needs immediate help or delivery of a vital piece of medical equipment for a disabled person.
Medicare is the nation's largest insurer, providing health insurance coverage for more than 39 million Americans over 65, and people with disabilities. Medicaid, a joint federal-state health insurance program, provides medical help for categories of low-income and needy people. Each state operates its own Medicaid program and receives federal matching funds.
"Peggy Felthouse provides excellent customer service to every beneficiary she is in contact with," said Michael McMullan, acting director of the Center for Beneficiary Services. "Her dedicated service to beneficiaries is admirable."
"I think my success in this job comes from caring for aging relatives," Felthouse said. "My visits to the retirement community where my 88-year-old mother is a resident has given me empathy and compassion for the elderly and their needs."
A Pikesville, Md., native, Felthouse graduated in 1963 from Seton High School in Baltimore. She worked as a disability inquiry specialist at the Social Security Administration in Baltimore from 1964 until 1992 when she transferred to HCFA.
