amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease

Patients with ALS become eligible for Medicare as soon as they begin collecting Social Security disability benefits. There used to be a five-month waiting period before applicants with ALS could begin receiving Social Security disability payments, but legislation enacted in 2020 eliminated that waiting period. Medicare takes effect at the same time as the disability payments, so there’s no longer a waiting period for Medicare coverage either.

This is in contrast to Medicare for other types of disabilities, when there is typically a two-year delay between the start of disability benefits and the start of Medicare eligibility.