Social Security has a list of Compassionate Allowance conditions which can help to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits. These conditions primarily include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children. This list is meant to help Social Security reduce waiting time for a disability determination.
The Compassionate Allowances program identifies claims but still uses the same rules to evaluate these conditions when evaluating both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. Each condition still has certain criteria to be met, although some are so rare that just a diagnosis alone would render disability.
A complete list of the Compassionate Allowance Conditions can be found at:
https://www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances/conditions.htm
On August 15, 2022, the Commissioner of Social Security released twelve new conditions which have been added to the Compassionate Allowance list. If you have filed a claim and your condition is on the CAL (Compassionate Allowance List), your claim is to be fast tracked within the program. You will still need to provide medical documentation to prove your diagnosis. CAL claims are generally to be approved with relatively small amounts of objective medical data instead of the vast testing and analysis required for other impairments.
While CAL claims are processed more quickly, an SSDI application still has the five month waiting period and 24 month waiting period for Medicare benefits. Unfortunately, many of the CAL conditions are not expected to have a life expectancy of 24 months and it is important to ask for our leaders to STOP the WAIT on disability claims. Many of the CAL conditions are rare, but not all. Additionally, if you have been given a Terminal Diagnosis you can request your claim be expedited under the terminal illness program (TERI).
There is a lot that can go into proving your diagnosis, limitations, and the resulting impairments from any condition. If you have a claim for disability, please call one of the experienced disability representatives at Gardberg & Kemmerly, P.C. at 251-343-1111 for a free consultation. Gardberg & Kemmerly specializes in helping the injured and disabled in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana.