In February, doctors and advocates petitioned Congress to make it easier for the most vulnerable long
COVID sufferers to get their Medicare benefits through the Stop the Wait Act.
Anyone who is approved for SSDI automatically qualifies for Medicare — but Medicare benefits don’t
kick in until after a mandatory two-year waiting period. According to Bloomberg Law, it’s actually five
months longer because the waiting period starts when the applicant is approved, not when the applicant
is declared disabled.
Considering the population that SSDI serves, 24 months can be a grueling delay.