I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2343
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 24-month 
waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 12, 2005
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees 
on Energy and Commerce and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a 
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to eliminate 
the 24-month waiting period for disabled individuals to 
become eligible for Medicare benefits.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Disability 
Eligibility Improvement Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF WAITING PERIOD FOR MEDICARE 
DISABILITY BENEFITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 226(b) of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 426(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘, and has 
for 24 calendar months been entitled to,’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘, and has 
been for not less than 24 months,’’; 
(3) in paragraph (2)(C)(ii), by striking ‘‘, in-
cluding the requirement that he has been entitled to 
the specified benefits for 24 months,’’; 
(4) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘for each 
month beginning with the later of (I) July 1973 or 
(II) the twenty-fifth month of his entitlement or sta-
tus as a qualified railroad retirement beneficiary de-
scribed in paragraph (2), and’’ and inserting ‘‘for 
each month for which the individual satisfies para-
graph (2), beginning with the first month in which 
the individual satisfies such paragraph, and’’; 
(5) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘the 
‘twenty-fifth month of his entitlement’ ’’ and all that 
follows through ‘‘paragraph (2)(C) and’’; and 
(6) in the third sentence, by striking ‘‘, but not 
in excess of 24 such months’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(1) SECTION 226.—Section 226 of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 426) is amended by striking 
subsections (f) and (h). 
(2) MEDICARE DESCRIPTION.—Section 1811(2) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395c(2)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘have been entitled for not less than 24 
months’’ and inserting ‘‘are entitled’’. 
(3) MEDICARE COVERAGE.—Section 1837(g)(1) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395p(g)(1)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘25th month’’ and inserting ‘‘first month’’. 
(4) RAILROAD RETIREMENT SYSTEM.—Section 
7(d)(2)(ii) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 
(45 U.S.C. 231f(d)(2)(ii)) is amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘has been entitled to an 
annuity’’ and inserting ‘‘is entitled to an annu-
ity’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘, for not less than 24 
months’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘could have been entitled 
for 24 calendar months, and’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to insurance benefits under title 
XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to items and
services furnished in months beginning at least 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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