Social Security Adds More Conditions to “Compassionate Allowance” Program
This past February, Social Security issued a press release announcing that it was adding thirty-eight (38) medical conditions to its “compassionate allowance” program. SSA describes its compassionate allowance program as follows:
Compassionate Allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that clearly qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits. It allows the agency to electronically target and make speedy decisions for the most obviously disabled individuals.
There are now 88 medical conditions that qualify for compassionate allowance. About half of these conditions are forms of cancer, while the other have are made up of rare diseases, many of which affect children. Among the more common conditions that now qualify for an early approval:
- early onset Alzheimer’s Disease
- mixed dementia
- idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- mucosal melanoma
A full list of all of the compassionate allowance conditions may be found by clicking on the link which will take you to Social Security’s internal Program Operations Manual System (POMS).
If you or a loved one are afflicted by any of the conditions described under the compassionate allowance program, it is very important that you make that fact known to the adjudicator who is assigned to your claim. You should not assume that the state agency adjudicator is familiar with the compassionate allowance list.
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Comments on Social Security Adds More Conditions to “Compassionate Allowance” Program
Jonathan:
There is a lengthy discussion on this with other disability attorneys on the net. An attorney who has practiced for 35 years has never had a single case involving any of the 38 medical conditions. Other attorneys agreed saying they have never had any cases involving these conditions. Are these conditions so rare that it is likely that I will never encounter these conditions in actual practice? I did have a tay sachs case, but it was a child’s SSI case. Are these conditions more geared towards children as you mentioned many of these conditions affect children.
I was approved for SSDI in April 201 and it was decided I was technically disabled back to April 2008. It took eight months for the approval, and I did not have any appeals so it was the first time around. As a licensed health care professional, I knew how to properly get the necessary medical records to the state agency that handled SSDI determinations for the SSA.
I have chronic pain and walk with a cane due to a spinal cord injury/cervical spondylitic myelopathy which resulted in permanent narrowing of about 50% from cervical level 2 through cervical level 6. I’m assuming my diagnosis was high on the list, to have gotten approved the first time around.
The only other diagnoses I had were depression, bipolar and an anxiety disorder and nobody gets approved at least the first time around just on those. Unless it was an aggregate determination?
I worked as a respiratory therapist until April 2008 and it is a job that requires abilities that the spinal cord injury keeps me from returning to it.
I am back in college and going for a new degree. I just started this quarter (Fall 2010.) The new field is a sitting occupation (medical law/paralegal)
Does my reentry into college for a job I MIGHT be able to do once I’m finished in three years impact my SSDI in any way?
Can I work part time and make like $200-300/month in a very sedentary job right now? I need to supplement my SSDI because the IRS is taking 15% of my monthly payments to pay for my ex-wife’s back taxes. And I need to help to pay for my Part B & C premiums, my Dr appt and prescription co-pays.
I am hoping with the new conditions you have recently added you can help me. I have been at this for 6 years now and getting no where except more depressed. I have Raynauds Disease of the circulatory system, sjogrens disorder, 2 types of arthritis-osteoathritis & psoriatic arthritis, a left bundle branch block, and an excessively fast heart rate. I am currently taking sixteen medications a day and in continual pain nearly all the time. My life is getting harder every day. I appreciate anything you can do to help me.