Apr 15, 2009
Take action now to remove the 24-month waiting period for Medicare
The Washington State 105-day legislative session will end on Sunday, April 26. The focus of our legislative efforts has been in maintaining certain areas of the budget that were/are at risk of being cut due to the deficit in our state. The session has been a mixed bag of successes and some disappointments.
Because of proposed state-level cutbacks in health care funding for low income and the unemployable, as well as a reduction in state support of public health districts, the National MS Society initiated Senate Joint Memorial (SJM) 8013, which asks Congress to remove the 24 month waiting period between when a person qualifies for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and when they are eligible to receive Medicare. SJM 8013 has been passed by the Washington House and Senate, and will go to Governor Gregoire to be signed before being sent to Congress and President Obama.
What you can do
- Federal Action: Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, as well as your members of Congress, now need to be pressed to take action on the federal level to eliminate the wait time between when a person qualifies for SSDI and when they are able to receive Medicare. Take action
- State Action: All members of the Washington State House and Senate passed SJM 8013. Please let them know how grateful you are. Take action
- MS Activist Phone Call: Please join us on May 6 at 12:00 p.m. PT for our quarterly teleconference. Dial in using 1-888-262-0101.