Two Years, Too Long

Medicareless is the situation of a terminally ill woman in Portland who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Despite her federal disability claim being approved, she is cash strapped to treat her illness. How can that happen you ask? Because it takes two years to get on Medicare after your federal disability claim is approved. No health insurance means paying for medicine and doctors out of pocket. It is a system mired with obstacles. It is cruel and punishing. Read this one woman's story. Furthermore, our new health care rules does not address this dilemma many disabled Americans face

Sherman, 57, believed she had bought some time when she qualified for Social Security disability income. But that only brought on the worst wait of all.

"How do people survive this?" she said. "The ripple effect of this is tsunami-huge."

She joined nearly 2 million disabled Americans -- at least 15,000 in Oregon -- who fall into a twilight with the first monthly Social Security disability payment, for they then must wait two years to become eligible for Medicare.

Many of them, like Sherman, have spent their savings on the care necessary to reach a diagnosis and now cannot get private insurance. Sherman spent the early months of her wait hoping that the debate over health care legislation would fix the problem. Oregon Live Link