In September it was announced that U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-35) authored a bill to eliminate the waiting period for Social Security Disability benefits. Currently, if someone is approved for Disability Insurance Benefits, which are the benefits you paid into when you were working, there is a 5-month waiting period before any payment can be received and a 24 month waiting period for Medicare benefits. This act would eliminate those wait times. This is especially important because both financial support and health insurance is critical to those who are disabled.
U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) also worked with Senator Casey and Representative Doggett on introducing the bill. They noted that these wait times prove to be deadly in many cases as more than 10,000 Americans have died while waiting for SSDI benefits to begin in 2017. These wait times especially are dangerous and deadly to those with progressive diseases such as cancer, Huntingdon’s Disease, cystic fibrosis, and those waiting on transplant lists, as well as, many other medical conditions. The Stop the Wait ACT aims to remove these unnecessary requirements by requiring the Social Security Administration to begin payments immediately and phasing out the 24 month waiting period for Medicare disability benefits. The Stop the Wait ACT is endorsed by many groups and we NEED YOU to endorse this ACT by contacting your Representatives and Senators. Below are the contacts for Senators in the surrounding states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Alabama:
Jones, Doug – (D – AL) Contact: www.jones.senate.gov/content/contact-senator
Shelby, Richard C. – (R – AL) Contact: www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailsenatorshelby
Florida:
Rubio, Marco – (R – FL) Contact: www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Scott, Rick – (R – FL) Contact: www.rickscott.senate.gov/contact_rick
Louisiana:
Cassidy, Bill – (R – LA) Contact: www.cassidy.senate.gov/contact
Kennedy, John – (R – LA) Contact: www.kennedy.senate.gov/public/email-me
Mississippi:
Hyde-Smith, Cindy – (R – MS) Contact: www.hydesmith.senate.gov/content/contact-senator
Wicker, Roger F. – (R – MS) Contact: www.wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact
Gardberg and Kemmerly is committed to helping the injured and disabled in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana, if you need help with a disability claim, call the office at 343-1111 for a free consultation.