Consumer Advocacy Org. calls on Congress to Eliminate 2-year Waiting Period for Disability Insurance
Posted by
Christina ColeApril 23, 2007 3:59 PMAfter retiring on social security disability and waiting two years to become eligible for Medicare, Pamela, had spent nearly $50,000 on health insurance premiums. Even then, the woman's insurance didn't cover the specialists and physical therapists she believes could have helped slow the progression of her illness.
This is just one of the many people that have stories such as this one. The consumer advocacy organization calls on Congress to help eliminate the two-year waiting period without insurance, said the president of the Medicare Right Center.
Approximately 600,000 disabled people are in need of health care and spend at least part of the waiting period without health insurance. Nearly 6.5 million disabled Americans are on Medicare, including over $259,000 in Ohio and 249,000 in Michigan shows the latest government statistics show.
People that suffer from kidney disease, amvvotropic scloerosis and Lou Gehrig's disease are exempt from the two year wait.
The waiting period was put in place to help keep costs down, ensure that people had long term disabilities and verify they could not qualify for other coverage. It could cost an estimated $8.7 billion a year to provide instant Medicare benefits tot hose certified as disabled by the Social Security Administration, according to the Medicare Rights Center. That would be partially offset by $4.3 billion in reduced spending.