The Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) recently joined a coalition of more than 65 health advocacy organizations to urge the next Congress to end the 24-month wait for Medicare coverage faced by people with disabilities. When the Medicare program expanded to cover individuals with disabilities in 1972, a waiting period was implemented to limit costs and ensure that only those with severe and long-term disabilities would qualify for the program. The prevalence rate for amputation is highest among people aged 65 and older, and fortunately, older amputees are able to enroll and receive Medicare coverage within months of reaching the eligibility age. And while most of the approximately 1.6 million amputees under the age of 65 are able to work full time and maintain healthcare coverage under employer-supported insurance plans, those with less functionality may seek public health coverage under programs such as Medicare for severe and long-term disabilities. The Medicare waiting period forces many amputees to delay needed care. Delayed care has a fiscal impact, not to mention the extreme burden it places on the health and quality of life of individuals with limb loss. The Coalition to End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare recently sent a letter to Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee calling for health coverage for people with disabilities to be at the forefront of efforts to cover the uninsured during the 111th Congress. Legislation to phase out the waiting period over ten years has been introduced in the House and Senate. As Congress and our new administration address America's healthcare crisis, they must place a high priority on closing the gap in coverage that affects a group of Americans most in need of guaranteed access to healthcare. This will be one of the issues the ACA will address during its upcoming lobby day on Tuesday, March 10. Morgan Sheets is the national advocacy director for ACA's Action Plan for People with Limb Loss (APPLL) initiative. She can be reached at linkEmail('APPLL','amputee-coalition.org'); . For more information, visit www.amputee-coalition.org/advocacy/index.html
