Social Security Added 12 New Conditions to the Compassionate Allowances Program

The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently added these 12 conditions to the Compassionate Allowances (CAL) program: Choroid Plexus Carcinoma, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in Adults, Congenital Zika Syndrome, Pericardial Mesothelioma, Desmoplastic Mesothelioma, SYNGAP1-related NSID, CIC-rearranged Sarcoma, Charlevoix Saguenay Spastic Ataxia, Taybi-Linder Syndrome, SCN8A Epileptic Encephalopathy, Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma, and Renpenning Syndrome.

Shorter Disability Application Process

The application process for disability benefits for these 12 conditions will now be accelerated following their addition to the Compassionate Allowances list. The SSA started the Compassionate Allowances program in response to the long wait times that many claimants with serious conditions were experiencing after applying for benefits.

The program is reserved for certain severe conditions and diseases that automatically meet the SSA’s disability standards to facilitate quick navigation of the disability claims process. It provides a means for disability claimants to shorten their waiting time drastically. With the addition of the 12 conditions, the Compassionate Allowances list now has 254 conditions in total.

The SSA usually receives information on potential Compassionate Allowances conditions from public outreach hearings, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and scientific and medical experts.

Because of the severity of the medical conditions on the list, disability benefits are often awarded based on only the confirmation of the medical diagnosis. So far, over 700,000 individuals have been approved through an expedited process due to the Compassionate Allowances program. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), certain cancers and rare children’s disorders are some of the other conditions also listed under the program.

When a person applies for benefits, the SSA requests medical records to assess a person’s eligibility accurately. The agency uses innovative Health IT technology to identify cases that qualify under the Compassionate Allowances program and issue a decision quickly. The technology used brings efficiency and speed to the process of making a disability determination. Transmission of electronic medical records allows the SSA to obtain and review a person’s medical information quickly.

Even though the Compassionate Allowances program aims to make the determination process quicker, it can still be slow and confusing for applicants. The rules and regulations can be challenging to understand. Social Security disability lawyers help applicants find out if they have a critical case. They provide people with a free case evaluation and help them plan the best action to take based on their circumstances.