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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Illinois
3 recognizes that Alzheimer's disease is the 21st century's
4 health epidemic; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Illinois
6 recognizes that ten million baby boomers in the United States
7 will develop Alzheimer's disease; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Illinois
9 recognizes that one in eight baby boomers in America will
10 develop Alzheimer's; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Today, there are between 200,000 and 500,000
12 people under age 65 with young-onset Alzheimer's disease or
13 other dementias in the United States; and
 
14     WHEREAS, People under age 65 with Alzheimer's disease or
15 other dementias whose employment is terminated because of the
16 disease are likely to lose job-related health insurance and may
17 become uninsured and uninsurable; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Individuals with young-onset Alzheimer's disease
19 who qualify for Medicare benefits under Social Security
20 Disability Insurance (SSDI) must wait five months after the

 

 

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1 eligibility determination is made to start receiving SSDI
2 benefits and 24 months after that date for Medicare benefits to
3 start; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The Medicare waiting period causes many people
5 with Alzheimer's disease to decide whether they will face high
6 medical out-of-pocket expenditures for care or forgo medical
7 care; therefore, be it
 
8     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
9 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
10 CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the members of the Illinois
11 delegation to the United States Congress to phase out
12 Medicare's two-year waiting period so that persons under age 65
13 with Alzheimer's disease are eligible for Medicare immediately
14 after receiving their determination of disability; and be it
15 further
 
16     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent
17 to each member of the Illinois Congressional delegation.