WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced bipartisan legislation he is co-sponsoring that would expedite the payment of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits to individuals with terminal illnesses by eliminating the mandatory five month waiting period between the onset of a work-ending disability and eligibility for benefits. The Expedited Disability Insurance Payments for Terminally Ill Individuals Act of 2013 was introduced with Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Mike Enzi (R-WY).

“Americans with a terminal illness shouldn’t have to worry about whether they can afford groceries or pay their utility bills,” Brown said. “This bill would ensure that those certified to have a terminal illness can receive the Social Security Disability Insurance they deserve, and the peace of mind that comes with it.”

The Expedited Disability Insurance Payments for Terminally Ill Individuals Act of 2013 expedites the payment of SSDI benefits to individuals who typically do not live long enough to benefit from this insurance they have earned. The breakdown of the benefit payments is provided below:

  • First month: 50 percent of monthly benefits
  • Second month: 75 percent of monthly benefits
  • Third month through twelfth month: 100 percent of monthly benefits
  • Year two: The benefit amount for each month is the regular monthly benefit minus a pro rata share of the total amount of benefits paid during what would otherwise be the five month waiting period.
  • Year three and beyond: the benefit amount for each month is 95 percent of the regular benefit.

The legislation also protects the SSDI program from fraud and abuse. First, at least two physicians who are not related and not in the same physician group practice, must certify that the individual is terminally ill. “Terminally ill” is defined as a person that has a medical prognosis that his or her life expectancy is six months or less. Second, benefits are phased in and modified if the person lives longer than expected.

The bill expands upon legislation offered by Brown in the 110th and 111th Congresses that would have waived the waiting period for people certified by a doctor as having six or fewer months to live. His bills were named after Cuyahoga Falls resident Arthur Woolweaver Jr., who died of lung cancer while fighting to receive disability benefits. 

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