,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bdif  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ah1
 #bjai ,mr4 ,casey 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,brown1 ,mr4 ,leahy1 and ,mr4 ,sanders7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend title ,,ii of the ,social         
,security ,act to eliminate the         
,medicare and disability insurance      
benefits waiting periods for disabled   
individuals4  #a4 ,short title  ,this   
,act may be cited as the ,stop the ,wait
 ,act4  #b4 ,elimination of disability  
waiting period for social security      
disability insurance benefits and       
surviving spouse benefits  7a7          
,elimination of waiting period for      
disability insurance benefits ,section  
#bbc of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db 
,u4,s4,c4 #dbc7 is amended-- 7#a7 in    
subsection 7a7--  7,a7 in paragraph     
7#a71 in the matter following           
subparagraph 7,e7-- 7i7 by striking     

disability insurance benefit 7i7 for    
each month and all that follows through 
1 or 7ii7 and inserting disability      
insurance benefit2 and  7ii7 by striking
 1 but only if and all that follows     
through under such disability2 and  7,b7
 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking as      
though he had attained age #fb in-- and 
all that follows through such disability
 insurance benefits1 and inserting as   
though the individual had attained age  
#fb in the first month for which the    
individual becomes entitled to such     
disability insurance benefits12 and     
7#b7 in subsection 7c71 by striking     
paragraph 7#b74  7b7 ,elimination of    
waiting period for surviving spouse and 
surviving divorced spouse benefits      
,section #bjb of the ,social ,security  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #djb7 is amended--  
7#a7 in subsection 7e7-- 7,a7 in        
paragraph 7#a71 in the matter following 
subparagraph 7,d71 by striking beginning
 with-- and all that follows through on 
such basis terminated1 and inserting    

beginning with the first month in which 
she becomes so entitled to such         
insurance benefits2  7,b7 by striking   
paragraph 7#e72 and  7,c7 by            
redesignating paragraphs 7#f7 through   
7#h7 as paragraphs 7#e7 through 7#g72   
and  7#b7 in subsection 7f7-- 7,a7 in   
paragraph 7#a71 in the matter following 
subparagraph 7,d71 by striking beginning
 with-- and all that follows through on 
such basis terminated1 and inserting    
beginning with the first month in which 
he becomes so entitled to such insurance
 benefits2  7,b7 by striking paragraph  
7#e72 and  7,c7 by redesignating        
paragraphs 7#f7 through 7#h7 as         
paragraphs 7#e7 through 7#g74  7c7      
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to
 applications for disability insurance  
benefits1 widow's insurance benefits1   
and widower's insurance benefits filed  
on or after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act4  #c4 ,phase-out of waiting  
period for ,medicare disability benefits

  7a7 ,in general ,section #bbf7;b7 of  
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #dbf7;b77 is amended--  7#a7  
in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 by striking 1   
and has for #bd calendar months been    
entitled to1 and inserting 1 and for not
 less than the waiting period 7as       
defined in subsection 7j77 has been     
entitled to12  7#b7 in paragraph        
7#b77;,b71 by striking 1 and has been   
for not less than #bd months1 and       
inserting 1 and has been for not less   
than the waiting period 7as defined in  
subsection 7j7712  7#c7 in paragraph    
7#b77;,c77ii71 by striking 1 including  
the requirement that he has been        
entitled to the specified benefits for  
#bd months1 and inserting 1 including   
the requirement that the individual has 
been entitled to the specified benefits 
for the waiting period 7as defined in   
subsection 7j7712 and  7#d7 in the flush
 matter following paragraph             
7#b77;,c77ii77,,ii7--  7,a7 in the first
 sentence1 by striking for each month   

beginning with the later of 7,i7 ,july  
#aigc or 7,,ii7 the twenty-fifth month  
of his entitlement or status as a       
qualified railroad retirement           
beneficiary described in paragraph 7#b71
 and and inserting for each month       
beginning with the first month after the
 month in which the individual first    
satisfies paragraph 7#b71 and2  7,b7 in 
the second sentence1 by striking the    
twenty-fifth month of his entitlement   
refers to the first month after the     
twenty-fourth month of entitlement to   
specified benefits referred to in       
paragraph 7#b77;,c7 and2 and  7,c7 in   
the third sentence1 by striking 1 but   
not in excess of #gh such months4  7b7  
,schedule for phase-out of waiting      
period ,section #bbf of the ,social     
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dbf7 is  
amended by adding at the end the        
following new subsection3  7j7 ,for     
purposes of subsection 7b7 7and for     
purposes of section #ahcg7;g77#a7 of    
this ,act and section #g7;d77#b77;ii7 of

 the ,railroad ,retirement ,act of      
#aigd71 the term waiting period means1  
with respect to an individual who first 
becomes entitled to benefits described  
in subparagraph 7,a7 of subsection      
7b77#b71 first achieves the status      
described in subparagraph 7,b7 of such  
subsection1 or first becomes entitled to
 specified benefits referred to in      
subparagraph 7,c7 of such subsection in 
a month in--  7#a7 calendar year #bjbj1 
#ah months2  7#b7 calendar year #bjba1  
#af months2  7#c7 calendar year #bjbb1  
#ad months2  7#d7 calendar year #bjbc1  
#ab months2  7#e7 calendar year #bjbd1  
#aj months2  7#f7 calendar year #bjbe1  
#h months2  7#g7 calendar year #bjbf1 #f
 months2  7#h7 calendar year #bjbg1 #d  
months2  7#i7 calendar year #bjbh1 #b   
months2 and  7#aj7 calendar year #bjbi  
and each subsequent year1 #j months4  4 
7c7 ,conforming amendments  7#a7 ,months
 that count towards waiting period  7,a7
 ,in general ,section #bbf7;f7 of the   
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   

#dbf7;f77 is amended by striking #bd    
months and inserting waiting period4    
7,b7 ,sunset ,effective ,january #a1    
#bjbi1 subsection 7f7 of section #bbf of
 the ,social ,security ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #dbf7 is repealed4  7#b7      
,elimination of #a-month waiting period 
for individuals with ,,als ,section     
#bbf7;h77#a7 of the ,social ,security   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dbf7;h77#a77 is    
amended by inserting 7or1 beginning     
,january #a1 #bjbi1 #j months7 after #a 
month4  7#c7 ,medicare description      
,section #ahaa7b7 of such ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #acie;c7#b77 is amended by    
striking entitled for not less than #bd 
months and inserting entitled for not   
less than the waiting period 7as defined
 in section #bbf7;j774  7#d7 ,medicare  
coverage ,section #ahcg7;g77#a7 of such 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciep7g77#a77 is   
amended by striking of the later of 7,a7
 ,april #aigc or 7,b7 the third month   
before the #beth month of such          
entitlement and inserting of the third  

month before the first month following  
the waiting period 7as defined in       
section #bbf7;j77 applicable under      
section #bbf7;b74  7#e7 ,railroad       
retirement system ,section              
#g7;d77#b77;ii7 of the ,railroad        
,retirement ,act of #aigd 7#de ,u4,s4,c4
 #bca;f7d77#b77;ii77 is amended--  7,a7 
by striking 81 for not less than #bd    
months0 and inserting 81 for the waiting
 period 7as defined in section #bbf7;j7 
of the ,social ,security ,act72 and     
7,b7 by striking could have been        
entitled for #bd calendar months1 and   
and inserting could have been entitled  
for the waiting period 7as defined in   
section #bbf7;j7 of the ,social         
,security ,act71 and4  7d7 ,effective   
date ,except as provided in subsection  
7c77#a77;,b71 the amendments made by    
this section shall apply to insurance   
benefits under title ,,xviii of the     
,social ,security ,act with respect to  
items and services furnished in months  
beginning at least #ij days after the   

date of the enactment of this ,act 7but 
in no case earlier than ,january #a1    
#bjbj74  #d4 ,national ,academy of      
,medicine study and report on delay and 
prevention of disability conditions  7a7
 ,study ,the ,secretary of ,health and  
,human ,services 7in this section       
referred to as the ,secretary7 shall    
request that the ,national ,academy of  
,medicine conduct a study on the range  
of disability conditions that can be    
delayed or prevented if individuals     
receive access to health care services  
and coverage before the condition       
reaches disability levels4  7b7 ,report 
,not later than the date that is #b     
years after the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit  
to ,congress a report containing the    
results of the ,national ,academy of    
,medicine study authorized under this   
section4  7c7 ,authorization of         
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to carry out this       
section #gej1jjj for the period of      

fiscal years #bjbj and #bjba4