Social Security Adds New Conditions to Compassionate Allowance List

September 29, 2012 (Press-News.org) In April, the Social Security Administration (SSA) added more than 50 new conditions to its list of illnesses eligible for a Compassionate Allowance, or CAL. This announcement is the latest decision in a trend toward more quickly identifying and approving disability applicants whose qualifying physical disabilities and conditions clearly meet the administration's definition of disabled.

The SSA Grows its Compassionate Allowance Program

The SSA estimates that it has approved CALs for 61,000 benefit applicants in the past fiscal year and for 173,000 applicants since the Compassionate Allowance program began in 2008. That year, only 50 conditions were eligible for CALs. With the new additions, the pre-approved list now stretches to 165.

This spring, the SSA added 53 illnesses to its list of Compassionate Allowance Conditions, which already included diseases such as pancreatic cancer, Lou Gehrig's disease and acute leukemia. Now, rare yet debilitating conditions like obliterative bronchitis, which destroys bronchial tubes and causes affected lungs to collapse, and Pearson Syndrome, a bone marrow disorder, are on the list. Other eligible diseases include childhood non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and juvenile onset Huntington disease.

CAL Eligibility and the Application Process

The SSA uses a series of questions to determine whether or not a Social Security Disability applicant may be eligible for disability benefits, including:
- Is the applicant working?
- What type of work has the applicant done in the past?
- Can the applicant do any kind of work?
- Is the applicant's condition serious enough to affect his or her work?
- Is the applicant's condition on the list of disabling conditions?

The last question allows the SSA to determine whether an applicant is eligible for a CAL. The online application program identifies whether the applicant's condition is on the list of Compassionate Allowance Conditions and then fast-tracks the application if the filer's condition is eligible. These applicants are then able to electronically sign and submit their applications rather than sending them through the postal system, which can delay the claims process.

If you or a loved one believes you may qualify for a compassionate allowance, gather your Social Security number, the names of your doctors, list of medications, medical records, lab results and your most recent W-2, which are all required to complete the online application process. Since filing a disability claim process can be confusing and prolonged if completed incorrectly, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact an experienced Social Security disability attorney to help them through the process.

Article provided by Pulgini & Norton, LLP
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