AgingCT 2026 Summit Opening Session
AgingCT and the CT Association of Centers for Independent Living welcome you to the 4th Annual Summit! This session includes a Department of Social Services update from Director of Community Options, Christine Weston. Judith Stein will present the Judith A. Stein Advocate’s Award to honor an individual whose work reflects Judy Stein’s unwavering commitment to advocacy, amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities, and protecting the fundamental human rights of older adults and individuals with disabilities.
Speaker Bios
Christine Weston
CT Department of Social Services
Director of Community Options
Christine Weston is the Director of Community Options at the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), where she has worked for 15 years and has over 20 years of experience serving individuals in Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). Her background spans direct care, case management, program oversight, and the design and management of systems and policies. Christine leads a large unit overseeing a wide range of HCBS, including Medicaid Waivers (PCA, ABI, Autism, CHCPE), state-funded home care, Community First Choice, Money Follows the Person, CHESS, and HCBS ARPA initiatives.
Judith Stein
The Center for Medicare Advocacy
Founder, Senior Advisor, Attorney
Judith A. Stein, J.D. is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA), a national nonprofit organization based in Connecticut dedicated to advancing access to comprehensive Medicare coverage, quality health care, and health equity for older adults and people with disabilities.
A nationally recognized expert in Medicare law and policy, Judith founded CMA in 1986 and has spent more than four decades advocating for the rights of Medicare beneficiaries. Prior to establishing the Center, she served as Co-Director of Legal Assistance to Medicare Patients (LAMP), the nation’s first Medicare advocacy program, where she helped pioneer legal representation for individuals navigating Medicare coverage issues.
Throughout her career, Judith has led and co-counseled landmark federal litigation challenging unlawful Medicare policies, including the groundbreaking Jimmo v. Sebelius settlement, which affirmed that Medicare coverage for skilled nursing and therapy services cannot be denied solely because a beneficiary is not improving. This precedent continues to protect access to medically necessary care for individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities.
Judith is a frequent speaker, author, and educator on Medicare, health care policy, and the rights of older adults and people with disabilities. Her leadership has made the Center for Medicare Advocacy a trusted national resource for legal advocacy, education, and systemic reform.
