Barrasso, Hassan Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expedite Social Security Benefits for Terminally Ill

U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY) and Maggie Hassan  of New Hampshire (D-N.H.) recently introduced bipartisan legislation to expedite the payment of Social Security Disability Insurance benefits to individuals with terminal illnesses by eliminating the five-month waiting period. The Expedited Disability Insurance Payments for Terminally Ill Individuals Act waives the five-month SSDI waiting period for individuals who are unlikely to live long enough to receive any benefits under the current system. Under the legislation, eligible individuals begin receiving benefits in the first month.

Terminally ill is defined as a medical prognosis of six months or less in life expectancy. To prevent fraud and abuse, at least two physicians, who are unrelated and not in the same physician group practice, must certify the diagnosis.

The bill requires annual reports from the Commissioner and Inspector General of the Social Security Administration on the number of individuals applying for and receiving expedited SSDI benefits, as well as the costs of administering the program. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must submit a report within two years of enactment evaluating the provision of benefits to terminally ill individuals and providing recommendations for improvements.