When someone is diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer — cancer that has spread beyond the breast — they're often in a race against time. But under current law, there's a five-month waiting period before disability benefits kick in, and a full 24-month wait before Medicare coverage begins. Right now, only people with ALS get an exemption from those waiting periods. This bill would add metastatic breast cancer to that short list, giving patients immediate access to both disability income and Medicare coverage so they can focus on treatment instead of worrying about how to pay for it.
Congressional Summary
Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act This bill expedites payment of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and eligibility for Medicare coverage for those with metastatic breast cancer (i.e., breast cancer that has spread to other sites in the body). Specifically, the bill eliminates the 5-month waiting period for SSDI benefits and the subsequent 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage for individuals with metastatic breast cancer. Under current law, individuals generally must wait 5 months after the onset of disability to begin receiving SSDI benefits and an additional 24 months to become eligible for Medicare.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-12-11
- Date Added
- 2026-04-06
- Source
- Congress.gov →
Like reading a bill in plain English?
We're building an app that does this for every bill in Congress and lets you tell your reps how you want them to vote. We're a small team getting ready to launch, and we're trying to show investors that real people want this. Be one of them. Help us get it built. Leave your email and we'll tell you the moment the app is ready.