[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 6, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF THE DISABLED WORKERS OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 6, 2001

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, today I join my colleague, Representative 
Matsui and several other colleagues to introduce the ``Disabled Workers 
Opportunity Act.'' This bill will remove a persistent employment 
barrier facing people with disabilities--the fear of losing their 
health insurance. It builds on the Work Incentives Improvement and 
Ticket to Work Act enacted last year. That law extended Medicare 
coverage for disabled, working beneficiaries who qualify for SSDI for 
eight and a half years. The legislation we are introducing today would 
make Medicare coverage permanent for these workers.
  According to a recent survey commissioned by the National 
Organization on Disability, 79% of unemployed people with disabilities 
want to work. Yet, only one-third of them are actively working. Despite 
major advances in disability services and technologies, less than 1% of 
SSI/SSDI disability enrollees leave the rolls each year to return to 
work. In large part, this gap can be explained by the fact that SSI/
SSDI disability beneficiaries risk losing health insurance coverage if 
they return to work--and many jobs lack the health benefits they 
require to maintain employment. Health insurance is vital for all 
workers, but for someone who is disabled, it can be a matter of life or 
death.
  On December 17, 1999, the ``Ticket to Work and Work Incentives 
Improvement Act'' was signed into law (P.L. 106-170). This important 
piece of legislation extended and improved healthcare and vocational 
rehabilitation opportunities for people with disabilities. Yet it does 
not go far enough in one fundamental respect. Instead of allowing 
disabled workers to permanently retain access to Medicare, people with 
disabilities who have worked a total of 8.5 years (whether consecutive 
or not) will still lose their Medicare benefits under existing law.
  While 8.5 years may sound like a sufficient transition period, let's 
not forget an important fact--managing a physical or mental disability 
is often a lifelong process. Someone with a spinal cord injury or a 
serious mental illness can face health challenges and vulnerabilities 
throughout their lives. The original version of the Work Incentives 
bill--as introduced in the House with bi-partisan support--recognized 
this fact and extended Medicare coverage permanently.
  Our legislation would improve the Ticket-to-Work and Work Incentive 
Improvement Act by making Medicare Part A coverage permanent for 
disabled, working beneficiaries who qualify for SSDI. This small but 
critical fix will help remove an ongoing barrier facing disabled 
workers--the threat of losing healthcare coverage after returning to 
work. It is time to give our disabled workers the opportunity to 
succeed by providing permanent Medical coverage. Enacting this 
legislation will allow the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives 
Improvement Act to live up to its name and really make it possible for 
those on SSDI to become permanent, active members of the workforce.
  Last week, President Bush announced his ``New Freedom Initiative'' 
which shares the same goal as our disabled workers bill--to help people 
with disabilities becoming working members of our community. I look 
forward to working with President Bush and my Congressional colleagues 
to pass this small, but important piece of legislation that would make 
a real difference in the lives of those people on SSDI who are able and 
willing to remain in our workforce. I submit the following co-sponsor 
listing as well as a letter from the Consortium for ``Citizens With 
Disabilities'' into the Congressional Record.
  The full list of original co-sponsors is as follows:
  1. Mr. Stark.
  2. Mr. Matsui.
  3. Ms. Morella.
  4. Mr. Rangel.
  5. Mr. Lewis of Georgia.
  6. Mr. Cardin.
  7. Mr. Coyne.
  8. Mr. Doggett.
  9. Ms. Thurman.
  10. Mr. Jefferson.
  11. Mr. McNulty.
  12. Mr. Waxman.
  13. Mr. Bonior.
  14. Mr. Kucinich.
  15. Mr. Frost.
  16. Mr. Murtha.
  17. Mr. Holden.
  18. Mr. Frank.
  19. Mr. Kildee.
  20. Mr. Hilliard.
  21. Ms. McCarthy of Missouri.
  22. Mr. Berman.
  23. Mr. Allen.
  24. Mr. Hinchey.
  25. Mr. Baird.
  26. Mr. Green.
  27. Ms. Christensen.
  28. Mr. Lantos.
  29. Mr. George Miller of California.
  30. Ms. Baldwin.
  31. Mr. Abercrombie.
  32. Mr. McDermott.
  33. Mr. Rush.
  A letter of support from the Consortium for Citizens with 
Disabilities follows:

                                           Consortium for Citizens


                                            with Disabilities,

                                                 February 5, 2001.
     Hon. Pete Stark,
     Cannon House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Stark, The undersigned members of the 
     Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Work 
     Incentives and Social Security Task Forces are pleased to 
     support your legislation that allows for Social Security 
     Disability beneficiaries who go back to work to permanently 
     retain their Medicare coverage.
       As you know, the lack of quality affordable health care is 
     one of the largest barriers facing disabled beneficiaries who 
     want to work. Witnesses with disabilities have testified 
     before the House Ways and Means and Commerce Committees and 
     the Senate Finance Committee that the loss of healthcare or 
     the inability to afford healthcare because of limited incomes 
     prevents them from working. In addition, we know that this 
     fear keeps people on the rolls who might try to go back to 
     work simply because they might lose their healthcare 
     coverage. This is wrong and it must be changed.
       Congress and the President went to great lengths to remedy 
     this problem with P.L. 106-170, The Ticket-to-Work & Work 
     Incentives Improvement Act. This law improves access to 
     rehabilitation services, eliminates many disincentives to 
     work with SSA, and extends Medicaid and Medicare coverage for 
     those who work.
       Unfortunately, during last minute consideration of the 
     bill, a limit was imposed on the Medicare coverage despite 
     the fact that 249 members of the House and 79 Senators 
     cosponsored legislation that provided permanent coverage 
     under Medicare.
       We believe that this limit must be lifted so that 
     beneficiaries can work without the fear that one day they 
     will be left with the choice of either working without 
     coverage or being forced back onto the disability rolls. 
     That's not fair and it's not right. We urge Congress to 
     support and pass this legislation.
           Sincerely,
       American Association on Mental Retardation.
       American Association of University Affiliated Programs.
       American Congress of Community Supports and Employment 
     Services.
       American Council of the Blind.
       American Network of Community Options and Resources.
       Association for Persons in Supported Employment.
       Brain Injury Association.
       Inter-National Association of Business, Industry and 
     Rehabilitation.
       International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation 
     Services.
       National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
       National Association of Developmental Disabilities 
     Councils.
       National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems.
       National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.
       National Down Syndrome Congress.
       National Mental Health Association.
       National Organization of Social Security Claimants' 
     Representatives.
       NISH.
       Paralyzed Veterans of America.
       The Arc of the United States.
       United Cerebral Palsy.

       

                          ____________________