Loophole in Medicare coverage hurt mother


Thanks a lot, Medicare.



My mom was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) also know as Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of 63. It ranks at the top of the most dreaded diseases anyone could ever have. It is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. With ALS you soon become a prisoner in your own body. I watched my mom slowly deteriorate for a year and a half. The day before she died she could not swallow the water from a suave place in her mouth.

The first thing I was told by several doctors was to get my mom on Medicare. They also said she would automatically qualify because ALS is such a rare disease. Well, I called Medicare, and they said there were only two diseases that would instantly qualify you for Medicare (kidney failure and ALS). I was so elated thinking that she would finally get the help she deserved, since she had ALS.
Although she had one of the two diseases that would automatically qualify for Medicare, she had to jump through a major loophole in the system. This loophole included working enough in the past 10 years of her life. My mom was then collecting Medicare on my father. Why couldn't she collect Medicare disability benefits based on his income? I pondered this question in my mind. Had my mom been able to get Medicare as she so rightfully deserved she might have been able to live longer. Being on Medicare would have allowed her to receive more treatment, such as physical therapy. What's wrong with our system?

My mom lost her battle with ALS on Feb. 26, at the age of 64. She never had a chance to make it to the age of 65 to collect her Medicare benefits that she had paid all her life (except for the last 10 years).

SANDY GARCIA

Tulare

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/app...5/1014/OPINION