Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2004

H.R. 5156, the Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2004, proposed to eliminate the mandatory two-year waiting period currently required for individuals with disabilities to qualify for Medicare coverage. The bill sought to phase out this waiting period for all eligible individuals while immediately removing it for those diagnosed with life-threatening conditions. Additionally, it directed a federal study to identify how earlier access to health care could prevent or delay the progression of certain disabling conditions.