Examining Medicare's Two-Year Waiting Period for Individuals with Disabilities 10/18/2004
Alliance for Health Reform and The Commonwealth Fund, Washington, D.C.
Briefing
( video )
(
transcript )
Medicare currently covers about six million disabled beneficiaries under age 65 who are entitled to cash benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. Disabled people who wish to receive coverage under Medicare must first qualify for SSDI cash benefits, then wait five months before the benefit begins. Individuals then wait an additional two years before becoming eligible for Medicare.
The Alliance for Health Reform and The Commonwealth Fund co-sponsored this briefing to discuss questions related to the Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance programs, such as what is the origin of the two-year waiting period? How would expanding Medicare to immediately cover SSDI beneficiaries affect Medicare spending? What impact would such a change have on state Medicaid program costs?
Related resources and information for this briefing can be found on the Alliance's Web page.
Moderator and Opening Remarks:
- Ed Howard, executive vice president, Alliance for Health Reform
- Barbara Cooper, senior program director, The Commonwealth Fund
Panelists:
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