[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 104 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 104

To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 24-month 
waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare 
                               benefits.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 2003

Mr. Green of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on 
   Energy and Commerce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 24-month 
waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare 
                               benefits.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Disability Eligibility 
Improvement Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF WAITING PERIOD FOR MEDICARE DISABILITY BENEFITS.

    (a) In General.--Section 226(b) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 426(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``, and has for 24 
        calendar months been entitled to,'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``, and has been for 
        not less than 24 months,'';
            (3) in paragraph (2)(C)(ii), by striking ``, including the 
        requirement that he has been entitled to the specified benefits 
        for 24 months,'';
            (4) in the first sentence, by striking ``for each month 
        beginning with the later of (I) July 1973 or (II) the twenty-
        fifth month of his entitlement or status as a qualified 
        railroad retirement beneficiary described in paragraph (2), 
        and'' and inserting ``for each month for which the individual 
        satisfies paragraph (2), beginning with the first month in 
        which the individual satisfies such paragraph, and'';
            (5) in the second sentence, by striking ``the `twenty-fifth 
        month of his entitlement' '' and all that follows through 
        ``paragraph (2)(C) and''; and
            (6) in the third sentence, by striking ``, but not in 
        excess of 24 such months''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--
            (1) Section 226.--Section 226 of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 426) is amended by striking subsections (f) and (h).
            (2) Medicare description.--Section 1811(2) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1395c(2)) is amended by striking ``have been entitled 
        for not less than 24 months'' and inserting ``are entitled''.
            (3) Medicare coverage.--Section 1837(g)(1) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1395p(g)(1)) is amended by striking ``25th month'' and 
        inserting ``first month''.
            (4) Railroad retirement system.--Section 7(d)(2)(ii) of the 
        Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231f(d)(2)(ii)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) by striking ``has been entitled to an annuity'' 
                and inserting ``is entitled to an annuity'';
                    (B) by striking ``, for not less than 24 months''; 
                and
                    (C) by striking ``could have been entitled for 24 
                calendar months, and''.
    (c) Effective Date.--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 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>