S. 3648: Immediate Access for the Terminally Ill Act

The 'Immediate Access for the Terminally Ill Act' is a proposed piece of legislation aimed at modifying the Social Security Act, particularly focusing on individuals with incurable terminal illnesses. Here’s a summary of what the bill would do:

Access to Disability Benefits

The bill proposes that individuals diagnosed with specific terminal diseases, which are recognized on a list known as the Compassionate Allowance list, would be allowed to access disability insurance benefits without having to wait for the standard waiting period. This would enable affected individuals to receive crucial financial support sooner.

Introduction of a New Subsection

A new provision would be added to the Social Security Act allowing those with confirmed terminal illnesses to elect to begin receiving disability benefits right from the first month they are deemed eligible. The list of conditions that qualify for this accelerated access will be updated every five years by the Social Security Administration.

Reduction in Benefit Amount

If someone chooses to receive these benefits without the waiting period, the amount they receive will be set at 93% of the normal benefit calculation for the first month they are eligible.

Prohibition Against Concurrent Benefits

The bill introduces a stipulation that if an individual is receiving both Social Security disability insurance benefits and unemployment compensation, their total benefits will be reduced to zero. This provision aims to prevent individuals from receiving benefits from both sources at the same time before reaching retirement age.

Congressional Oversight on Condition Listings

Any future additions to the Compassionate Allowance conditions list would require congressional approval. This means that no new terminal illnesses could be added to the list without a specific law being enacted for that purpose.

Increasing Overpayment Collection Threshold

The threshold for collecting overpayments related to old-age, survivors, and disability insurance benefits would be adjusted. If the Social Security Administration determines that a complete deduction of benefits would be inappropriate, they may opt to reduce the payment by a smaller, but not less than 10%, amount.

Effective Date

The changes proposed by the bill would take effect six months after its enactment, applying to applications for benefits filed during that period onwards.

Relevant Companies

None found.