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Severely Disabled Still Stranded Without Medicare Coverage

Congress Yet to Act on Year-Old Bill to Eliminate 24-Month Medicare Waiting Period

June 9, 2006
On the one-year anniversary of the introduction of a bill to eliminate the 24-month waiting period that people with debilatating disabilities must endure before their Medicare coverage begins, the Medicare Rights Center is pleading with the Senate Finance Committee "to at least hold a hearing on this federal policy that creates unspeakable human suffering."

In a letter to Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the ranking Democrat, Robert M. Hayes, president of the Medicare Rights Center, said: "How long can Congress close its eyes to the misery of Americans who played by the rules, paid their taxes, and suddenly find themselves unable to work because of severe disability?"

"This obsolete policy keeps men and women from needed health care just when they need it most: when they face long term disability and lose their health insurance along with their employment."

"Forcing severely disabled people to wait two years for Medicare not only ends up costing the government more, it costs lives," said Hayes.

About 1.2 million people with disabilities are in the 24-month Medicare waiting period and at least 400,000 have no health care coverage. Four percent of people die each year while waiting for their Medicare to begin, according to a study by the non-partisan Commonwealth Fund.

The proportion of people in the waiting period who have no health insurance is likely higher today, because health insurance is less accessible and less affordable. With employer health care coverage eroding and health insurance premiums rising, COBRA coverage is either not available or out of reach for many people who become disabled and can no longer work.

People with a long work history or who had even a modest employment income are not eligible for Medicaid coverage because the amount of Social Security Disability Income they receive makes them not poor enough to qualify.

"Becoming qualified for disability income is a long and arduous process in itself," said Mr. Hayes, "and research shows that delaying critical treatment leads to new health problems and ultimately more costly."

"It’s time for Congress to abolish this 24-month wait," Mr. Hayes added.

Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) introduced S. 1217 last June to eliminate the 24-month Medicare waiting period for people deemed by the Social Security Administration to be unable to continue working because of severe and permanent disabilities. The bill is stalled in the Senate Finance Committee where a hearing has yet to be held.

The waiting period was originally established in 1972 when Medicare was extended to people with disabilities. Today there are two exceptions: people who are disabled due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or end-stage renal disease.

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