A new Commonwealth Fund report creates profiles of those with Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) during the three years before and after SSDI entry to illustrate changes in insurance status, health care access, and utilization. An accompanying "Perspectives on Health Reform" essay by Commonwealth Fund Assistant Vice President Stuart Guterman and Program Assistant Heather Drake examines how the two-year waiting period that disabled people must endure before they are eligible to begin receiving Medicare benefits can lead to difficulty accessing needed care and financial pressure.
