[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 21155-21156]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          ELIMINATING THE 24 MONTH WAITING PERIOD FOR MEDICARE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2002

  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, more than 56 million Americans 
currently live with some kind of disability. These disabilities include 
blindness, paralysis, mental illness, hearing loss, physical ailments, 
and a host of other conditions.
  The federal government has recognized the unique challenges faced by 
these Americans

[[Page 21156]]

by allowing qualified disabled individuals to receive health insurance 
under the Medicare program. Unfortunately, the law includes a 24 month 
waiting period before disabled individuals can qualify for coverage.
  This waiting period poses a serious problem for many newly disabled 
Americans. Faced with the loss of their employment due to their 
disability, their situation is only made worse because they cannot 
access the health care services they need. The Medicare program was 
designed to help people in need--not make their situations worse by 
denying them necessary health care.
  That is why I am introducing legislation to eliminate the 24 month 
waiting period under the Medicare program. This legislation would allow 
individuals to enroll in Medicare immediately upon their disability 
determination. This is a necessary change in the law which will help 
countless Americans access the health care they need upon becoming 
disabled.

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