Health Insurance for Veterans Age 65 and Over

Carrie M. Farmer is co-director of the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute, director of the Health Care Quality Measurement and Improvement Program, and a senior policy researcher at RAND. Her areas of research include military and veteran health policy and quality of health care. She has led multiple studies to assess the delivery of health care to veterans and service members, including a study of behavioral health care in the Military Health System, a study of the use of measurement-based care in the treatment of behavioral health conditions in the Veterans Health Administration, and studies to assess the capacity of community providers to meet the health care needs of veterans.

Farmer was the study director for a large, comprehensive assessment of the Veterans Health Administration required by the Veterans Access Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. She was also the co-director for a study of innovative approaches for treating psychological health problems and traumatic brain injury in the Department of Defense, and led the largest assessment to date of care received by service members following a mild traumatic brain injury. She received her Ph.D. in health policy from Harvard University and her B.A. in psychobiology from Wellesley College.

Erin Fuse Brown is a legal scholar and Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health. She was previously the Catherine C. Henson Professor of Law and director of the Center for Law, Health & Society at Georgia State University. Professor Fuse Brown’s areas of research and expertise include health law and policy, health care finance, health care consolidation and prices, the Affordable Care Act, single-payer and public option health reforms, ERISA preemption of state health laws, consumer financial protections for patients against surprise medical bills, and medical debt. She received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Micah Hager is the director of business development at Wellcare, where he leads initiatives to deliver managed care services to individuals and families. With 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, including the last 15 years focused on Medicare, Hager possesses a deep understanding of how Medicare integrates with other health care plans. He is passionate about helping seniors navigate the complexities of Medicare and understand its impact on their retirement. In addition to his professional expertise, Hager is an eight-year veteran of the Army National Guard and an active member of The American Legion in Texas. Originally from Minnesota, he now calls San Antonio, Texas, his home.