Immediate Access for the Terminally Ill Act

HR 7104, the "Immediate Access for the Terminally Ill Act," allows individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness on a published Social Security list to receive disability benefits without the standard 5-month waiting period. To qualify, the illness must have a life expectancy of 5 years or less, no known cure, and be listed under the Compassionate Allowance program. If elected at the time of application (and irrevocably), beneficiaries receive 93% of their standard disability benefit amount. The Social Security Administration must publish and update this list every 5 years, with Congress requiring separate approval for new additions to the list.