Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act stalls 

Alzheimer advocates made great strides in getting cosponsors for the Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act (S. 2102, H.R. 154). The bill lists 103 U.S. House cosponsors and 23 U.S. Senate cosponsors!

This bill would phase out the two-year waiting period for Medicare coverage for persons under age 65 diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease who may have lost a job and employer-based health insurance.

Unfortunately, the bill will not pass this year. We will ramp up our efforts again in early 2009 to ensure the bill is reintroduced and our race for cosponsors will resume.

Alzheimer funding decisions held up

Just days before the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1, Congress and President Bush agreed to postpone any new spending for medical research and public health programs for another five months. Lawmakers passed a “continuing resolution” (CR), that keeps most federal programs running at 2008 spending levels through March 2009.

The current delay means that the decisions to boost Alzheimer research and to continue program funding will be left to a new Congress and the new president.

Prior to the CR decision, our advocacy efforts resulted in proposed increases in research and program funding (see chart below). We will push the new Congress to vote favorably on these proposals.

Federal funding chart

What can I do now?

1. Vote!

On Nov. 4, get to the polls and vote.

The presidential race is not the only important election this fall. 435 U.S. House seats and 33 U.S. Senate seats are on the docket. There are also legislative elections in 44 states. 79 percent of the total legislative seats in the United States up for grabs!

Get out and vote!
Can't make it to the polls? Check your state's absentee voting rules.

2. Remind others to vote! Send an e-mail, text or make a call to at least 5 friends on Nov. 3 and follow up on Nov. 4.

Thank you for your continued efforts to push Alzheimer's as a national priority.
We'll report back to you in November when Congress returns to Washington, D.C.

Questions?