HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 42
(By Delegates Longstreth, Anderson, Armstead, Ashley, Azinger,
Beach, Boggs, Border, Brown, Butcher Campbell, Cann, Caputo,
Carmichael, Crosier, Duke, Eldridge, Ellem, Ennis, Evans, Ferro,
Fleischauer, Fragale, Frazier, Givens, Guthrie, Hamilton,
Hatfield, Hunt, Hutchins, Klempa, Kominar, Mahan, Manypenny,
Marshall, McGeehan, Michael, Miley, C. Miller, Moore, Morgan,
Moye, Overington, Paxton, Perdue, Pethtel, D. Poling, M. Poling,
Porter, Reynolds, Rodighiero, Romine, Shook, Shott, Skaff,
Sobonya, Spencer, Staggers, Stephens, Stowers, Susman, Tabb,
Talbott, Varner, Walker, Wells and Wooton)
Urging the members of the West Virginia Congressional delegation to
phase out Medicare's two-year waiting period so that persons
under age sixty-five with Alzheimer's disease are eligible for
Medicare immediately after receiving their determination of
disability.
Whereas, The West Virginia Legislature recognizes that
Alzheimer's disease is the twenty-first century's health epidemic;
and
Whereas, The West Virginia Legislature recognizes that ten
million baby boomers in the United States will develop Alzheimer's disease; and
Whereas, The Legislature of West Virginia recognizes that one
in eight baby boomers in the United States will develop
Alzheimer's; and
Whereas, People under age sixty-five with Alzheimer's disease
or other dementia whose employment is terminated because of the
disease are likely to lose job-related health insurance and may
become uninsured and uninsurable; and
Whereas, Individuals with young-onset Alzheimer's disease who
qualify for Medicare benefits under Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI) must wait five months after the eligibility
determination is made to start receiving SSDI benefits and
twenty-four months after that date for Medicare benefits to start;
and
Whereas, The Medicare waiting period causes many people with
Alzheimer's disease to decide whether they will face high medical
out-of-pocket expenditures for care or forgo medical care;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature of West Virginia requests the U.S.
Congress to phase out Medicare's two year waiting period so that
persons under age sixty-five with Alzheimer's disease are eligible
for Medicare immediately after receiving their determination of
disability; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
forward a certified copy of this resolution to members of the West
Virginia congressional delegation, the Speaker of the U.S. House of
Representatives, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the
U.S. House of Representatives and the Majority Leader and Minority
Leader of the U.S. Senate.