[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2322 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2322

 To amend the Social Security Act to waive the 24-month waiting period 
   for Medicare coverage of certain disabled individuals who have no 
                       health insurance coverage.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2003

 Mr. Andrews introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy 
    and Commerce, 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 the Social Security Act to waive the 24-month waiting period 
   for Medicare coverage of certain disabled individuals who have no 
                       health insurance coverage.

    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 ``Immediate Access to Medicare for the 
Disabled Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. WAIVER OF 24-MONTH WAITING PERIOD FOR MEDICARE COVERAGE OF 
              CERTAIN DISABLED INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE NO HEALTH INSURANCE 
              COVERAGE.

    (a) In General.--Section 226 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
426) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (k); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(j)(1) With respect to an individual described in paragraph (2) 
who would be entitled to benefits under subsection (b) but for the 24-
month waiting period under subsection (b)(2), the following special 
rules apply:
            ``(A) Subsection (b) shall be applied as if there were no 
        requirement for any entitlement to benefits, or status, for a 
        period longer than one month.
            ``(B) The entitlement under such subsection shall begin 
        with the first month (rather than twenty-fifth month) of 
        entitlement or status.
            ``(C) Subsection (f) shall not be applied.
    ``(2) The special rules set forth in paragraph (1) apply to an 
individual who demonstrates to the Secretary that, during the 60-day 
period preceding the date on which such individual files an application 
for benefits under subsection (b)(2)(C), such individual has no health 
insurance coverage.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1837 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395p) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(k) In applying this section in the case of an individual who is 
entitled to benefits under part A pursuant to the operation of section 
226(j), the following special rules apply:
            ``(1) The initial enrollment period under subsection (d) 
        shall begin on the first day of the first month in which the 
        individual satisfies the requirement of section 1836(1).
            ``(2) In applying subsection (g)(1), the initial enrollment 
        period shall begin on the first day of the first month of 
        entitlement to disability insurance benefits referred to in 
        such subsection.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to benefits for months beginning after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.
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