II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1197 

To waive the 24-month waiting period for Medicare eligibility for individuals 

disabled by Huntington’s disease. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 22, 2017 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself and Mr. CASSIDY) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To waive the 24-month waiting period for Medicare eligibility 

for individuals disabled by Huntington’s disease. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Huntington’s Disease 

5 Parity Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) Huntington’s disease is a progressive degen9 erative neurological disease that causes total phys10 ical and mental deterioration. In the United States, 


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1 approximately 30,000 individuals are affected by 

2 Huntington’s disease, along with another 200,000 

3 individuals who are genetically ‘‘at risk’’. There is no 

4 effective treatment in terms of halting or slowing the 

5 progression of the disease. 

6 (2) Clinical indicators of Huntington’s disease 

7 include— 

8 (A) loss of ability to control bodily move9 ments; 

10 (B) loss of ability to think or act quickly, 

11 inability to learn new material, and loss of 

12 memory; and 

13 (C) behavioral or psychological problems, 

14 including personality changes, irritability, mood 

15 swings, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behavior, 

16 inability to concentrate, decreased motivation, 

17 and severe depression. 

18 (3) Adult-onset Huntington’s disease typically 

19 results in the development of symptoms in individ20 uals between 30 and 50 years of age. Late-onset 

21 Huntington’s disease is characterized by develop22 ment of symptoms after 50 years of age and is usu23 ally associated with a milder course of the disease. 

24 Juvenile Huntington’s disease affects individuals 


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1 who have yet to attain 19 years of age and pro2 gresses at a more rapid rate. 

3 (4) Because of the incapacitating nature of 

4 Huntington’s disease, individuals living with this ill5 ness, including those in the early stages of the dis6 ease, are unable to retain employment. As a result, 

7 many such individuals rely solely on Social Security 

8 Disability Insurance. 

9 (5) After qualifying for Social Security Dis10 ability Insurance, individuals with Huntington’s dis11 ease must wait another 24 months before receiving 

12 benefits under the Medicare program, despite the 

13 fact that such individuals often become incapacitated 

14 before reaching the age-eligibility requirement under 

15 the Medicare program of 65 years of age. 

16 (6) In 2000, the Centers for Medicare & Med17 icaid Services waived the 24-month waiting period 

18 requirement for people disabled by amyotrophic lat19 eral sclerosis (‘‘ALS’’), a degenerative neurological 

20 condition that is similar to Huntington’s disease. 

21 (7) In light of the significant cognitive, behav22 ioral, and physical incapacitation faced by individ23 uals with this disease, there is an urgent need for 

24 the removal of the 24-month waiting period for cov25 erage under the Medicare program for such individVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:55 May 31, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1197.IS S1197

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1 uals, similar to the existing exemption for individ2 uals who have been diagnosed with ALS. 

3 SEC. 3. WAIVER OF 24-MONTH WAITING PERIOD FOR COV4 ERAGE UNDER MEDICARE PROGRAM FOR IN5 DIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH HUNTINGTON’S 

6 DISEASE. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 226(h) of the Social Secu8 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 426(h)) is amended, in the matter pre9 ceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘or Huntington’s dis10 ease (HD)’’ after ‘‘amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)’’. 

11 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

12 subsection (a) shall apply to benefits under title XVIII of 

13 the Social Security Act with respect to items and services 

14 furnished in months beginning after the date of the enact15 ment of this Act. 

Æ 


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