Jan. 08, 2001

ALS UPDATE MEDICARE WAIVES TWO-YEAR WAIT FOR ALS PATIENTS

A change in federal regulations waiving the two-year waiting period for Medicare coverage for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) takes effect July 1. This means people with ALS who qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance income will get Medicare health insurance coverage as soon as they begin receiving SSDI. Under current policy, SSDI recipients don't receive Medicare until after 24 months on SSDI.

ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, is prominent among the diseases in MDA's program.

The legislation exempting people with ALS from the two-year wait is expected to benefit some 17,000 people with ALS who aren't yet receiving Medicare benefits, according to Sen. Robert G. Torricelli, D-N.J., the bill's chief Senate sponsor. Torricelli and Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., introduced the measure because of the brief life expectancy of those with ALS, usually two to five years after diagnosis.

The measure was passed by Congress and signed by the president in December as a small part of a large health, human services and labor bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Spending Act (H.R. 4577).

The ALS bill was first introduced in 1997. At that time, the MDA National Task Force on Public Awareness wrote leaders in Congress requesting their support of the measure.

The application process and other details are still being worked out by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) of the Health and Human Services Department, which administers Medicare.

For further information, call the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213 for the number of the local Social Security office or visit www.medicare.gov. Upcoming issues of The ALS Newsletter, MDA's bimonthly publication dedicated solely to matters affecting those with ALS, will report further on this important legislation.