(1) Huntington’s Disease is a progressive de-
generative neurological disease that causes total 
physical and mental deterioration over a 12 to 15 
year period. It affects 30,000 patients and 200,000 
individuals are genetically ‘‘at risk’’ in the United 
States. 
(2) Huntington’s Disease has a triad of clinical 
features, including motor abnormalities, dementia, 
and disorders of mood and perception. While move-
ment disorders are most commonly associated with 
Huntington’s Disease, early symptoms are often 
emotional and psychiatric. This may include person-
ality changes, irritability, mood swings, depression, 
obsessive-compulsive behavior, inability to con-
centrate, and decreased motivation. 
(3) Because of its incapacitating nature, people 
with Huntington’s disease, including those in the 
early stages of the disease, are unable to retain em-
ployment. As a result, many people with Hunting-
ton’s Disease rely solely on Social Security Disability 
Income. 
(4) Despite significant advances in medicine 
and greater understanding of disability, the Social 
Security Administration has not comprehensively re-
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vised its rules for the medical evaluation of neuro-
logical disabilities since 1985. 
(5) Because people with Huntington’s Disease 
are frequently not employed, many families have lost 
their employer-provided health insurance benefits. 
As a result, many people with Huntington’s Disease 
do not receive necessary treatment during the early 
stages of the disease. 
(6) In 2000, the Centers for Medicaid & Medi-
care Services waived the 24-month waiting period re-
quirement for people disabled by ALS (amyotropic 
lateral sclerosis), a degenerative neurological condi-
tion similar to Huntington’s Disease. 
SEC. 3. REVISION OF THE MEDICAL CRITERIA FOR EVALU-
ATING DISABILITY CAUSED BY ADULT-ONSET 
HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE. 
The Commissioner of Social Security shall revise the 
regulations prescribed by the Commissioner set forth as 
appendix 1 to subpart P of part 404 of title 20 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (relating to the listing of im-
pairments, published by the Social Security Administra-
tion as ‘‘Disability Evaluation Under Social Security’’, 
and commonly referred to as the ‘‘Blue Book’’), as follows: 
(1) The Commissioner shall insert after 11.00G 
the following: 
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‘‘H. Huntington’s Disease. Huntington’s Disease is an in-
herited neuropsychiatric disorder that is progressive and 
terminates in death of the affected person. Recovery or 
remission never occurs. Treatment is ineffective in terms 
of halting or slowing the progression of the disease. The 
usual age of adult onset is between the ages of 30 and 
50, although the age of adult onset may be younger or 
older. Incapacitation occurs relatively early in the course 
of this debilitating illness with progression to total dis-
ability and dependency for all activities of daily living. 
There are three characteristic clinical features: (1) loss of 
ability to control bodily movements; (2) loss of ability to 
think and act quickly, to learn new material and to re-
member, and (3) apathy, personality changes, irritability, 
mood swings, depression, anxiety, inability to concentrate, 
decreased motivation, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and 
severe depression. Individuals with Huntington’s Disease 
also exhibit poor social judgment and may be irritable and 
aggressive. Inability to work is due to a combination of 
cognitive disturbance, behavioral or mood changes, poor 
coordination of voluntary movements, and the presence of 
involuntary movements. Individuals with Huntington’s 
Disease, even in the relatively early stages, have particular 
difficulty with decision-making, multi-tasking, and per-
forming under time pressure or with the stress of inter-
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personal interactions. The course of the disease varies 
among individuals and families. The cognitive and behav-
ioral problems may become debilitating before disorganiza-
tion of motor functions. For other individuals, the motor 
dysfunction may appear first.’’. 
(2) The Commissioner shall insert after 11.14 
the following: 
‘‘11.15 Huntington’s Disease. With: 
‘‘A. disorganization of motor function as de-
scribed in 11.04B; or 
‘‘B. chronic brain syndrome. Evaluate under 
12.02, 12.04, and 12.06.’’. 
(3) The Commissioner shall remove the ref-
erence in 11.17 to ‘‘Huntington’s Chorea’’. 
SEC. 4. REVISION OF THE MEDICAL CRITERIA FOR EVALU-
ATING DISABILITY CAUSED BY JUVENILE 
HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE. 
The Commissioner of Social Security shall revise fur-
ther the regulations described in section 3 as follows: 
(1) The Commissioner shall insert after 
111.00E the following: 
‘‘F. Juvenile Huntington’s Disease. While there is no 
symptom or group of symptoms that are absolutely re-
quired for the diagnosis of juvenile Huntington’s Disease, 
most affected children offer several of the following fea-
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tures at the time that the diagnosis is made: motor dys-
function, characterized by rigidity and dystonia, seizures, 
declining cognitive function, behavioral or psychiatric 
problems such as depression, aggressiveness and impul-
siveness, irritability, mood swings, and obsessions. Hun-
tington’s Disease is a hereditary disorder and individuals 
with very early onset of Huntington’s Disease are far more 
likely to have an affected father than an affected moth-
er.’’. 
(2) The Commissioner shall insert after 111.09 
the following: 
‘‘111.10. Junvenile Huntington’s Disease. With: 
‘‘A. Motor dysfunction. Evaluate under 111.06; 
or 
‘‘B. Behavioral or psychiatric problems. Evalu-
ate under 112.02, 112.06, and 112.08.’’. 
SEC. 5. ELIMINATION OF 24-MONTH MEDICARE DISABILITY 
WAITING PERIOD IN CASES OF INDIVIDUALS 
WITH DISABLING HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 226(h) of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 426(h)) is amended, in the matter pre-
ceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘or Huntington’s Dis-
ease’’ after ‘‘amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to benefits under title XVIII of 
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