This bill would amend parts of the Social Security Act to remove the standard five-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and to change some Medicare enrollment rules for certain people with disabilities. It phases down the SSDI waiting period for new applications filed after enactment: 3 months for applications filed in 2025–2027, 2 months for 2028, and 1 month for 2029. The bill makes the full elimination effective January 1, 2030, and applies to applications filed on or after January 1, 2029. The bill also adds a new rule (section 226(j)) that lets certain people under age 65 who meet specific entitlement and coverage criteria gain Medicare Part A coverage earlier (making entitlement retroactive to the first month rather than the 25th month) and changes initial enrollment timing for those people.
The bill includes technical and conforming edits to related Social Security and Railroad Retirement provisions, and it adds special enrollment rules in Medicare’s enrollment statute for people who become entitled to Part A under the new rule.
No publicly available information on federal costs, savings, or budgetary estimates is included in the bill text or metadata provided.
No publicly available information on proponents’ arguments or stated benefits is included in the bill text or metadata provided.
No publicly available information on opponents’ arguments or stated concerns is included in the bill text or metadata provided.