Perspective
Disabled People With Medicare Struggle to Get Needed Health Care
Fourteen percent of the Medicare population is under 65 years old and disabled-a percentage estimated to grow to 17 percent by 2010. To gain a more in-depth understanding of the particular problems they face in getting needed health care, the Medicare Rights Center surveyed 80 younger, disabled clients who contacted its hotline within the last year.
The Medicare Rights Center survey found that:
- 38 percent of those surveyed had no health insurance during the two-year period between qualifying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and becoming eligible for Medicare benefits;
- 54 percent of individuals surveyed had no supplemental insurance to fill gaps in Medicare coverage;
- 45 percent of individuals surveyed had no prescription drug coverage.
To ensure that Americans who are under the age of 65 and qualify for Medicare based on disability get access to needed health care services, the Medicare Rights Center recommends that Congress do the following:
- reduce the waiting period between qualifying for SSDI and becoming eligible for Medicare;
- expand Medicare coverage so individuals do not have to rely heavily on supplemental coverage;
- offer supplemental insurance through the federal government.
While Congress is pursuing these long-term goals, federal and state government officials should:
- pass legislation that requires insurance companies to provide equal access to private supplemental insurance (Medigap) for all Americans with Medicare, regardless of age, health status, or state residency;
- extend state drug benefits to the under-65 Medicare population.
Click here to read the full results of MRC's survey in Medicare Facts and Faces: Americans with Disabilities: Poor Coverage, Little Choice.