The bill has passed the Senate and will be up for a vote in the House the week of December 7, 2020
The ALS Disability Insurance Access Act was reintroduced in the 116th Congress this week as S.578 in the Senate by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR). Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Peter King (R-NY) introduced the companion bill in the House as H.R.1407. There is strong bi-partisan support for the bill and precedent has been established towards waiving Social Security policies for ALS patients. Congress passed a bipartisan bill in 2000, waiving the standard two-year waiting period for Medicare eligibility for people with ALS.
We do expect this bill will pass as it has already passed the Senate this week by a 96-1 vote and it has strong bi-partisan support in the House. The question is why only ALS, and not other terminal and life threatening conditions? This legislation could open the door to other conditions also having the five month waiting period eliminated as well.