• Social Security Disability Experts

Disability Legislation We Support

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• Ending the Medicare Waiting Period

Ending the Medicare Waiting Period

In 1972 Congress expanded the Medicare program to cover disabled Americans. At this time, Congress established a two year waiting period for disabled individuals to receive Medicare benefits. Once an individual begins receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits he or she must generally wait two years before being deemed eligible for Medicare. We at Freedom believe that the two year waiting period should be abolished and support the efforts of Senator Jeff Bingaman (D, NM) and Representative Gene Green (D, TX) among others to accomplish this worthwhile goal. For more information on the disability legislative progress of the bills introduced in the House and Senate:

As national experts in Social Security Disability we at Freedom work every day with individuals coping with severe health conditions. Most of our clients have been taxpayers for years who have contributed to the Social Security system. They are faced with daunting medical challenges which prevent them from working and are all too often left out of the nation’s employer-based insurance programs. By linking these individuals with Medicare benefits upon their disability determination we, as a nation, will:

1. Provide needed health insurance for the estimated 40,000 uninsured individuals in the Medicare waiting period (source, Commonwealth Fund estimates)
2. Reduce the disproportionate burden on state Medicaid programs to provide healthcare for individuals deemed disabled by the Social Security Administration
3. Provide continuous coverage for individuals who need ongoing preventative care and management of existing conditions

This initiative has broad support among advocacy groups including:

1. Alzheimer’s Association
2. The American Association of People with Disabilities
3. The Amputee Coalition of America
4. The Arthritis Foundation
5. The COPD Foundation
6. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
7. United Cerebral Palsy

As a determined advocate for disabled Americans, Freedom is proud to add its voice to the growing clamor to end the Medicare waiting period. According to Alan Flaumenhaft, Freedom’s CEO, “It is our responsibility as a nation to provide a safety net for hard-working Americans who face difficult health challenges. Ending the Medicare waiting period will be a tremendous step toward providing medically needed, continuous care to our nation’s disabled workers.”

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