Kim introduces bill to eliminate long waiting periods for disability benefits

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) on Thursday introduced legislation to phase out waiting periods for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Medicare benefits.

Kim’s bill, the Stop the Wait Act, would phase out the five-month waiting period for SSDI benefits over five years as well as eliminate the 24-month waiting period for Medicare disability benefits.

The senator from New Jersey cited data from the Government Accountability Office that found more than 100,000 people died between fiscal 2008 and 2019 while waiting for a final decision on their SSDI benefits. This figure represents roughly 1.2 percent of total disability applicants who filed an appeal.

“It is horrifying that any American should be forced to endure months or even years of waiting for benefits they worked hard to earn. Care cannot be put on hold. Congress needs to step up for our disability community and end these harmful waiting periods once and for all,” Kim said in a statement.

A similar bill with the same title was introduced last February by Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas), but it did not progress after being referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

SSDI benefits are paid to people who are unable to work because of a medical condition that is expected to last at least on year or potentially result in death. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue are by far the most common conditions reported among SSDI beneficiaries, accounting for roughly 65 percent, according to a 2024 report from the Social Security Administration.

In a statement, Kim’s office argued that Congress had already moved to eliminate waiting periods for certain situations, such as for people with ALS.

The bill has been endorsed by the Federation of American Hospitals, American Association of People with Disabilities, the Alzheimer’s Association, Pandemic Patients and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, among others.