An open letter regarding disability and medical care to all Democratic Party hopefuls

[KentuckyWoman]

Please consider making buying into Medicare possible simultaneously with applying for Social Security Disability. Very few employers even offer short term disability benefits let alone long term. And those that do shift 100% of the cost of medical care insurance to the sick employee.

No income.... ridiculously inflated COBRA premiums.... and even those only last 18 months max IF by some miracle someone can afford it. It takes 2 years on SSDI for Medicare to kick in... with premiums.

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2nd request.

Please consider a program enabling people with short term serious illness that cannot work to apply for income benefits much like unemployment. As I stated above very few people have short term sick pay. Small business can't afford it. A hardworking person falls and breaks a bone, needs knee replacement, has a heart attack, etc... their need for income may be short. Set it up just like unemployment benefits. Everyone pays into it like insurance and obtaining benefits requires the form from employer and the doctor taking you out of work. ... lasts 12 weeks max or if SSDI is applied for can last until approval with repayment required.

I know both of these ideas come with drawbacks that will need to be addressed, but not addressing these issues leaves too big of a gap in the basic security net so many have fought and died for in prior generations.