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AMENDMENT TO SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 3 


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    AMENDMENT NO. ___.  Amend Senate Joint Resolution 3 by 
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replacing everything after the title with the following:

 
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    "WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Illinois 
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recognizes that access to Medicare is necessary  for people 
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under age 65 who are eligible for Social Security Disability 
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Insurance (SSDI); and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Illinois 
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recognizes that people under age 65 who qualify for SSDI and 
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who lose their jobs are likely to lose job-related health 
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insurance; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Illinois 
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recognizes that most individuals who become disabled, before 
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their disability, were working jobs and paying into Medicare; 
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and

 
 


 






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    WHEREAS, Now, when these people need coverage the most - 
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when they have lost their health, their jobs, their income, and 
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their health insurance; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Individuals who qualify for Medicare benefits 
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under Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) must wait 
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five months after the eligibility determination is made to 
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start receiving SSDI benefits and 24 months after that date for 
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Medicare benefits to start; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Because of the two-year wait for Medicare 
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benefits, many people with disabilities and their families are 
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likely to face very high out-of-pocket expenditures for long 
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term care or be forced to forego medical care; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
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CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the members of the Illinois 
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delegation to the United States Congress to phase out 
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Medicare's two-year waiting period so that persons under age 65 
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are eligible for Medicare immediately after receiving their 
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determination of disability; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be sent 
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to each member of the Illinois Congressional delegation.".