A bill introduced by Senator Mike Braun, Senator Tom Cotton, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and Senator Chris Coons to help ALS patients was signed into law on Wednesday by President Biden.
Braun
The bill is a technical clarification that will ensure ALS patients are given access to their Social Security Disability Insurance benefits without a five-month waiting period whether they applied prior to the passage of the ALS Social Security Disability Insurance Act or not.
The ALS Social Security Disability Insurance Access Act was introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and signed into law in December. This law eliminated the five-month waiting period for Social Security disability benefits for those with medically-diagnosed ALS, because due to the quick and devastating effects of the disease many of those diagnosed do not have five months to wait.
Due to how the Social Security Administration interpreted this law, ALS patients who had already applied for their disability benefits were still being forced to wait the five months. Senators Braun (R-Ind.), Cotton, Whitehouse, and Coons (D-Del.) introduced a bill to clarify how that part of the law is to be applied: All Americans with medically-diagnosed ALS should be able to access their Social Security Disability benefits without the five-month waiting period – not just those who haven’t applied yet.
“The financial burden of ALS is staggering, and those who are diagnosed have no time to waste,” Sen. Braun said. “With this technical fix which is now signed into law we will ensure timely access to Social Security disability benefits is available to ALS patients and the ALS Social Security Disability Insurance Access Act fulfills its promise to help those fighting this terrible disease.”
About the Senate ALS Caucus
The Senate ALS Caucus founded in January 2020 by Senators Chris Coons and Mike Braun. The caucus brings together senators from both sides of the aisle who share a commitment to working collaboratively to advocate on behalf of ALS patients and their families to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by ALS patients and their families; advance policies that improve the quality of life for ALS patients; expand the network of support for those suffering from ALS; and advocate for investments in research that will enhance our understanding of the causes of ALS, identify effective treatments, and eventually discover a cure.