Several U.S. senators Called They are calling on the Social Security Administration to take steps to make it easier for people with Long COVID to receive disability benefits, measures that disability advocates and patients say are desperately needed.
Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Angus King (Independent, Maine) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) signed the letter released Monday. They said the SSA should increase transparency in its process, track and release data on Long COVID claims, and consider expanding the list of disabilities it considers in benefit applications.
“In some circumstances, these symptoms can be debilitating and can prevent people from working, caring for their families, managing the home or participating in social activities,” the senators wrote to Human Services Commissioner Martin O’Malley.
Long COVID is a chronic health condition that occurs after a COVID-19 infection and is often accompanied by fatigue, brain confusion, shortness of breath, etc. About 3 in 10 American adults have experienced long COVID at some point. according to KFF’s analysis of Long COVID data from April. 17 million people were infected in March 2024. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released guidance on Long COVID. As a hindrance Under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Kane is Frank Sanders has spoken about his own experience with Long COVID and introduced legislation this month that would provide $1 billion per year for 10 years to support Long COVID research by the National Institutes of Health.
Lisa McCorkell, co-founder of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative, a group for patients with Long COVID and related conditions, told States Newsroom, “Having a ruling or a list would be a big improvement. Having specific guidelines on how to document Long COVID, the diagnoses associated with it, and the disorders associated with it would help doctors who may not be as knowledgeable about Long COVID.”
The SSA administers disability benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs. The former program requires past employment contributions to Social Security. The latter has no such restrictions and is based on economic need, but to receive benefits, applicants must prove they are disabled. The average monthly disability benefit for Social Security Disability Insurance is $1,538.
Economic losses from the long-term coronavirus pandemic
Researchers and economists are still trying to understand the full impact of COVID-19 infections and Long COVID on the workforce in 2023. study It is estimated that COVID-19 has reduced the workforce by 500,000 people, with the average workforce loss equating to $9,000 in income. More than 25% of people with Long COVID said their symptoms affected their employment or work hours. according to 2022 Minneapolis Fed Paper.
Marissa Ditkowski, disability economic justice counsel at the National Partnership for Women and Families, an organization focused on women’s and family health, economic justice and reproductive rights, said “Long COVID is not going to go away because there is a significant lack of government protections” to curb the spread of COVID, especially at the federal, state and local levels.
“COVID-19 remains a reality, but it disproportionately impacts women, people with disabilities and people of color, and those most affected already have issues accessing adequate health care, employment and fair wages,” said Ditkowski, who has long COVID. “Many people work low-wage jobs in the service industry and are constantly on the go, which may make them more susceptible to contracting COVID-19. It’s not just how we respond to people with long COVID, but also how we prevent people from contracting long COVID.”
Meanwhile, she said Long COVID patients, as well as other people with disabilities, would benefit from reforms advocated by the senators, such as reinstating the attending physician rule, which was repealed in 2017. The rule allowed officials to give more weight to the medical evidence of doctors who have treated a patient for years, rather than those who saw the patient once.
“I asked my doctor about my weight. [they] “The value is huge,” Ditkowski said.
Mia Ives Rubley, senior director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, said the Biden administration or the next administration has an opportunity to rethink how disability benefits are administered, and that the department has more reason than ever to make reforms given the aging population. Significant improvements Disability advocates say increased funding for the agency is also essential.
“We’re not only seeing an increase in disabilities among young people, but also the baby boomer generation aging… We’re seeing [SSA] “We need to look at real change and funding and think about how to manage the wide variety of experiences people have to address differences in applying for these benefits,” she said.
