Texas House Resolution on Medicare

[pop goes the weasel]

I cross-posted this in the Texas forum. Surely, if the Texas legislature is on our side in getting rid of the 24-month rule, we should be able to get other states to join in.

From http://www.dpctexas.org/newsletters/2007-08-31.html#h3 :

Without a lot of fanfare, the 80th Texas Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 35, authored by Rep. Eddie Rodriguez of Austin, urging Congress to pass a law to eliminate the 24-month Medicare waiting period for SSDI participants. Texas is the first state to pass such a resolution. Last week, the secretary of state’s office forwarded the resolution to the U.S. president, vice president, speaker of the house and members of the Texas Congressional delegation, requesting that it be entered in the Congressional Record.

[pop goes the weasel]

1. sigh

Plenty of views. No comments? Please, it may be a while before we can have universal health. But there is no reason for people who have already been found to be disabled after a grueling application process to go two years without medical care! This could be changed right away if enough people care about the very least fortunate in America.

I've seen this policy of two extra years waiting for medical care in action. My daughter was granted SSDI on the basis of seizures and connective tissue disorder. But for the entire time of the waiting period, she was subject to daily, sometimes hourly untreated seizures until Medicare finally kicked in. I don't want to see anyone else's daughter have to go through that, or see any child lose a parent to an illness that could have been treated.

[datadiva]

2. Yes please

If for nothing else. To help me. I am in the process. I haven't applied yet but its right around the corner. Right now I'm on state disability, trying to live on 2/3 of my regular salary, no medical insurance. If it weren't for my local general hospital, I would be so screwed.

[pop goes the weasel]

3. apply now

Don't wait to turn the corner, OK?

I suppose I should repost this in GD tomorrow. The disability forum is where threads go to die, it seems. Therein lies a rant, but I don't have the energy to write it tonight.

[cutlassmama]

4. Good news! However, with the backlog of SSI/SSDI cases

most people don't get approved for it until their 24 month waiting period is there. By the time I got approved, the next month I got Medicare. I do, however agree with you for those that get approved right away...why would the "sickest" in the country not have health insurance for two years??? It makes no sense and is just plain wrong. Perhaps the government wants the "sickest" to go ahead and die during that period so they don't have to pay out benefits for that person's lifetime.

[pop goes the weasel]

5. that's my sneaking hunch

I mean, it just makes no sense otherwise! It seems really diabolical.

[cutlassmama]

6. It does, but with everything else I've been hearing the past

couple of years, it would not surprise me in the least.