Introduced in 2025 by Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), the Stop the Wait Act would phase out the 5 month wait for individuals to receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits after the onset of disability as well as eliminate the 24 month waiting period for disabled workers to receive Medicare.
Currently, an SSDI recipient must wait 5 months after his or her onset of disability before any benefits start accruing. A beneficiary must also wait 24 months after their onset date of disability before they are eligible for Medicare.
This bill would gradually reduce the 5 month waiting period and completely eliminate it by 2030. For Medicare, the bill would eliminate the 24 month waiting period for individuals whom the annual cost of certain medical insurance would exceed a specified percentage of their household income. Medicare eligibility for these individuals would begin the first month that they qualified for SSDI.
This bill is currently pending in the House of Representatives.
At Gardberg and Kemmerly, we keep a close eye on any pending legislation so as to know how to best help our clients. Contact an experienced Social Security disability attorney at Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. today at 251-343-1111 for a free case evaluation. Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. represents Social Security disability claimants in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana at all levels of the disability process from initial application to appeals to Federal Court.