H.R. 930 — Stop the Wait Act of 2025

This section phases down and then eliminates the five-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, which currently delays the first month of entitlement by five full months following disability onset (to exclude short-term disabilities). Specifically, for applications filed (1) in calendar years 2025-2027, it reduces the waiting period to three months (from five months); (2) in 2028, to two months; (3) in 2029, to one month; and (4) on or after January 1, 2029, it eliminates the waiting period entirely (effective January 1, 2030). The section also strikes reentitlement provisions allowing a prior disability period within the preceding 60 months to waive the waiting period and makes conforming amendments to statutory cross-references.

This section eliminates the 24-month waiting period for Medicare Part A eligibility (i.e., hospital insurance) for eligible individuals under age 65 who are entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and lack minimum essential coverage, as determined by application of the Affordable Care Act individual responsibility provision at an 8.5% affordability threshold (rather than 8% of household income). It applies entitlement retroactively to the first day of the first month of SSDI entitlement (rather than the 25th month), waives certain Part A premiums, and adds these individuals as a new eligibility category under Section 1811 (42 U.S.C. 1395c). (As background, Medicare Part A currently requires SSDI recipients under age 65 to wait 24 months for coverage.) The section also establishes special initial enrollment periods under Section 1837 for Part B, including—for individuals entitled to SSDI prior to enactment who had not yet met the 24-month requirement—a period beginning the first month after enactment and ending seven months later.