It’s time to end the 24-month waiting period – a devastating delay in Medicare benefits – for people with disabilities. And ACA is ready to join the fight.
The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA), the nation’s leading advocacy organization working on behalf of people with limb loss, is joining forces with more than 65 health advocacy organizations calling for elimination of the 24-month waiting period for Medicare benefits for people under 65 with disabilities, according to its Nov. 12, 2008 release.
Insurance Waiting Period Damages the Most Vulnerable
“We are joining the Coalition to End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare to help give voice to people with disabilities and their families who struggle to pay medical bills and keep their households above water while waiting two years for their Medicare coverage to begin as required by law,” said Kendra Calhoun, President and CEO of the Amputee Coalition of America.
“By banding together, we make our voices louder and impossible to ignore. This senseless delay in Medicare health coverage for the most vulnerable among us must end,” added Robert M. Hayes, president of the Medicare Rights Center.
When the Medicare program was expanded in 1972 to cover individuals with disabilities, a two-year waiting period was implemented to control costs and ensure that only those with severe and long-term disabilities would qualify for the program. Unlike older Americans who typically enroll and become eligible for Medicare coverage immediately when they turn 65, younger people with disabilities, including amputees, must wait two years for their Medicare disability coverage to take effect.
Delay Especially Harmful to Amputees
“This two-year Medicare waiting period places an unnecessary and unfair burden on amputees who need access to their disability benefits to remain healthy, productive and independent,” said Calhoun. “Unfortunately the two-year Medicare waiting period forces many amputees to put off needed care.”
There are approximately 1.8 million amputees in the United States according to the Amputee Coalition.Amputees who are prevented from accessing replacement or repairs for their prosthetics due to the costs will often continue to wear a broken or ill-fitting device. This can lead to abrasions, sores and breakdown, as well as knee and hip injuries related to over compensating. Another option is to utilize crutches, whose overuse can cause wrist, elbow and shoulder problems.
“Without a properly fitted device, an amputee may reduce or eliminate their ambulation, forcing them to become sedentary. This can result in increased vascular issues and diabetes complications, osteoporosis, muscle loss, and depression, along with costs associated with nursing home and/or home care,” warned Amputee Coalition CEO Calhoun.
Ending Two-Year Wait is Bipartisan Issue
The Coalition to End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare recently sent a letter to Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee calling for health coverage for people with disabilities to be at the forefront of efforts to cover the uninsured during the 111th Congress.
Legislation to phase out the waiting period over 10 years has been introduced in the House and Senate. In the Senate, S.2102 is sponsored by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and cosponsored by 23 senators, including president-elect Barack Obama. In the House, H.R. 154, sponsored by Representative Gene Green (D-TX), has 103 cosponsors.
“As Congress and our new administration begin to address America’s health care crisis, they must place a high priority on closing the gap in coverage that affects a group of Americans most in need of guaranteed access to health care—people with severe disabilities who are forced to wait two years to become eligible for Medicare coverage,” said Calhoun.
About the Amputee Coalition of America
The Amputee Coalition of America, based in Knoxville, Tennessee is a national, non-profit consumer educational organization that empowers people who have experienced amputation or are born with limb differences through education, support and advocacy.
For information on becoming a member or making a donation to the Amputee Coalition of America, please visit the ACA website at http://www.amputee-coalition.org or call 1-888-267-5669. A national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Amputee Coalition of America relies on grants and private support for its programs. Donations to the Amputee Coalition of America are tax deductible to the extent permissible by law.
For further information, contact: Rick Bowers, Amputee Coalition of America, 865-524-8772, or Idan Sims, Sims & Associates, 212-725-3838 or 917-940-7876.
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