H.R. 549 · 118th Congress

Ends waiting periods for disability benefits and Medicare for metastatic breast cancer

Official title: Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act1

Never got a floor voteSocial Security benefit levels

§1What it does

Why this matters: A plain-English description of the bill as it was voted on, written by us from the official summary and text.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

This bill would let people with metastatic breast cancer, meaning breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, get Social Security disability benefits and Medicare coverage sooner.2,3 It would eliminate the five-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance payments and the 24-month waiting period that follows before Medicare coverage begins.2,3

§2Status

StatusLatest action, December 17, 2024: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.1
IntroducedJanuary 26, 2023
SponsorRep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]
Cosponsors272 cosponsors (200 Democratic, 72 Republican)
Official recordH.R. 549 on Congress.gov

§3It never got a vote

Why this matters: This bill had wide support from both parties, but it never reached the House or Senate floor, so no member of Congress was ever recorded voting for or against it.

Latest action, December 17, 2024: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.1 How bills die without a vote.

2026 candidates who sponsored or cosponsored it (186)