# 119-s-5428: Stop the Wait Act of 2026

119-s-5428, Stop the Wait Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-03).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5428
- As of: 2026-10-03
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5428
- Congress: 119
- Title: Stop the Wait Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-17
- Sponsor: Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ)
- Cosponsors: 8
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-03

## Summary

**Eliminates the SSDI waiting period over a phased schedule so people with disabilities get benefits and Medicare coverage sooner.** This bill would shorten the current multi-month delay for Social Security Disability Insurance and align Medicare enrollment rules so health coverage begins earlier for many disabled beneficiaries. - Disabled people and families: Would shorten the SSDI wait stepwise for applications filed during the phase-in and end the separate waiting period by January 1, 2031. The bill describes substituted waiting lengths for 2026 through 2030 before full effect in 2031. - Medicare-eligible individuals under 65: Would let entitlement and Part A enrollment be treated as beginning in the first month of disability entitlement rather than the 25th month. The bill creates special 24-month and initial enrollment rules to make Medicare start sooner for those affected. - Program administration and Railroad Retirement beneficiaries: Would update cross-references and enrollment mechanics in the Social Security Act and the Railroad Retirement Act so benefit and Medicare timing match the new SSDI rules.

## Cosponsors (8)

- Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-09-17T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Faster Medicare Part A for disabled: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would add special Medicare rules so some people under age 65 who are entitled to SSDI could get Part A earlier. The 24-month/25th-month requirement would not block entitlement for these people, and Part A could be treated as retroactive to the first month of disability entitlem…
- Stop the wait for disability benefits: benefit, high. If enacted, this bill would phase down and then eliminate the five-month SSDI waiting period so you would be treated as entitled starting the first month you qualify. The wait would drop to three months for applications filed in 2026–2028, two months for 2029, one month for 2030, and end entirely o…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-5428 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5428)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5428 (as of 2026-10-03).