I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2589 
To waive the 24-month waiting period for Medicare eligibility for individuals 
disabled by Huntington’s disease. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 22, 2017 
Mr. KINZINGER (for himself, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Mr. TIPTON, 
Ms. PINGREE, Mr. CLAY, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. DELBENE, Ms. ROYBAL- 
ALLARD, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. LIPIN-
SKI, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. HARPER, Mr. KIND, 
Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. HECK, Mr. STEWART, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. SCHIFF, 
Mr. TURNER, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. ROGERS of Ken-
tucky, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. DEUTCH, 
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. LEWIS 
of Georgia, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. YODER, Mr. 
DELANEY, Mr. HILL, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. MOORE, Mr. THOMAS J. ROO-
NEY of Florida, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. FLORES, Mr. YOUNG 
of Alaska, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. 
JOHNSON of Georgia, and Ms. SLAUGHTER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To waive the 24-month waiting period for Medicare eligibility 
for individuals disabled by Huntington’s disease. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Huntington’s Disease 
Parity Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Huntington’s disease is a progressive degen-
erative neurological disease that causes total phys-
ical and mental deterioration. In the United States, 
approximately 30,000 individuals are affected by 
Huntington’s disease, along with another 200,000 
individuals who are genetically ‘‘at risk’’. There is no 
effective treatment in terms of halting or slowing the 
progression of the disease. 
(2) Clinical indicators of Huntington’s disease 
include— 
(A) loss of ability to control bodily move-
ments; 
(B) loss of ability to think or act quickly, 
inability to learn new material, and loss of 
memory; and 
(C) behavioral or psychological problems, 
including personality changes, irritability, mood 
swings, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behavior, 
inability to concentrate, decreased motivation, 
and severe depression. 
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(3) Adult-onset Huntington’s disease typically 
results in the development of symptoms in individ-
uals between 30 and 50 years of age. Late-onset 
Huntington’s disease is characterized by develop-
ment of symptoms after 50 years of age and is usu-
ally associated with a milder course of the disease. 
Juvenile Huntington’s disease affects individuals 
who have yet to attain 19 years of age and pro-
gresses at a more rapid rate. 
(4) Because of the incapacitating nature of 
Huntington’s disease, individuals living with this ill-
ness, including those in the early stages of the dis-
ease, are unable to retain employment. As a result, 
many such individuals rely solely on Social Security 
Disability Insurance. 
(5) After qualifying for Social Security Dis-
ability Insurance, individuals with Huntington’s dis-
ease must wait another 24 months before receiving 
benefits under the Medicare program, despite the 
fact that such individuals often become incapacitated 
before reaching the age-eligibility requirement under 
the Medicare program of 65 years of age. 
(6) In 2000, the Centers for Medicare & Med-
icaid Services waived the 24-month waiting period 
requirement for people disabled by amyotrophic lat-
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eral sclerosis (‘‘ALS’’), a degenerative neurological 
condition that is similar to Huntington’s disease. 
(7) In light of the significant cognitive, behav-
ioral, and physical incapacitation faced by individ-
uals with this disease, there is an urgent need for 
the removal of the 24-month waiting period for cov-
erage under the Medicare program for such individ-
uals, similar to the existing exemption for individ-
uals who have been diagnosed with ALS. 
SEC. 3. WAIVER OF 24-MONTH WAITING PERIOD FOR COV-
ERAGE UNDER MEDICARE PROGRAM FOR IN-
DIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH 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 (HD)’’ after ‘‘amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to benefits under title XVIII of 
the Social Security Act with respect to items and services 
furnished in months beginning after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
Æ 
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