A Best Chance

Via Media dis&dat, here’s a Dallas Morning News article explaining the problem with the two year waiting period for Medicare for people approved for Social Security Disability. I assume most of y’all that pop by here need no explanation as to why that rule is one of the stupidest regulations on the books, but go on and read it so that you can point it out to non-Americans who want to take a moment to feel superior as well as Americans who live under rocks.

The current push to establish a national health care plan may not come to much at all, but it is also the best chance in years to make needed reforms to Medicare rules. Even my beloved backward state of Texas supports ending the two-year rule (though I don’t trust our two Senators to ever do the right thing, even when the state legislature has passed a resolution). So, if you haven’t made your voice heard on the health care debate, at least pick up the phone or shoot an email to your Congress Critters telling them to make sure to end the 2-year rule on Medicare.

One point that isn’t made clear by the article is the cost of not granting health insurance to people who have already been found too disabled to work full-time. A lot of people on disability could, theoretically at least, work part-time and would like to work. But while they are untreated, they can’t work. Pain, seizures, lack of mobility equipment and so forth robs them of two years of productive capability. During that two years, skills rust, licenses become obsolete, and health declines to the point that the possibility of re-entering the workforce becomes evermore remote.

Truly wonderful!

I read in Media Dis & Dat today of a new park being built in San Antonio, TX. Morgan’s Wonderland, named in honor of his daughter, will be what is probably the first-in-the-world public park with dedicated primary use for visitors with disabilities.  Philanthropist/developer Gordon Hartman has even managed to bring the city, county, and local school district in on the project, and is making sure to keep records of the process so that others will be able to duplicate his efforts. Non-disabled children and adults will also be using the facilities, but at this park, disability is not an after-thought or add-on. How neat! 

Nothing about us without us

Courtesy of Frida, I learn of We Can Do‘s campaign to get people with disabilities to write the Obama disability policy team to take advantage of this historic opportunity to have our voices heard and have a part in the change to come:

But we cannot afford to allow the moment to end here. Whether we supported Obama, McCain, or another candidate, we all know there is far too much work ahead before we can say, “Yes, we have made real change for people with disabilities.”

It is time for people with disabilities, our loved ones, our neighbors, and colleagues to join together, across ideological divides, to reach out to Obama. We should all send an email to Kareem Dale, Obama’s National Disability Vote Director (at kdale@barackobama.com), WITH COPIES TO Anne Hayes, a volunteer on the Obama Disability Policy Committee (at ahayesku@hotmail.com).