Social Security Adds 38 New Medical Conditions that
Qualify for Disability Help
Adding new conditions, like early-onset Alzheimer’s
disease, will speed benefits to thousands of disabled
Feb. 12, 2010 – The latest move by the Social
Security Administration, in an ongoing effort to speed up the decision
process for consideration of applications for disability benefits to
those not yet age 65, is
the addition of 38 new medical conditions to the list of Compassionate
Allowances, which clearly qualify applicants. The new conditions range
from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease to rare diseases that primarily
affect children.
This is the first expansion since the original list
of 50 conditions - 25 rare diseases and 25 cancers - was announced in
October 2008, according to the announcement yesterday by Michael J.
Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security.
The complete list of the newly recognized medical
conditions that clearly qualify patients for Social Security and
Supplemental Security Income disability benefits - Compassionate
Allowance conditions - is below.
“The addition of these new conditions expands the
scope of Compassionate Allowances to a broader subgroup of conditions
like early-onset Alzheimer’s disease,” Commissioner Astrue said.
“The expansion we are announcing today means tens
of thousands of Americans with devastating disabilities will now get
approved for benefits in a matter of days rather than months and years.”
The quick identification of these conditions allows
the agency to electronically target and make speedy decisions for the
most obviously disabled individuals.
In developing the expanded list of conditions,
Social Security held public hearings and worked closely with the
National Institutes of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, the National
Organization for Rare Disorders, and other groups.
"The diagnosis of Alzheimer's indicates significant
cognitive impairment that interferes with daily living activities,
including the ability to work," said Harry Johns, President and CEO of
the Alzheimer's Association.
"Now, individuals who are dealing with the enormous
challenges of Alzheimer's won't also have to endure the financial and
emotional toll of a long disability decision process."
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About Benefits For People With
Disabilities
 The
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability
programs are the largest of several Federal programs that
provide assistance to people with disabilities. While these two
programs are different in many ways, both are administered by
the Social Security Administration and only individuals who have
a disability and meet medical criteria may qualify for benefits
under either program.
Social Security Disability Insurance pays benefits to you
and certain members of your family if you are "insured," meaning
that you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.
Supplemental Security Income pays benefits based on
financial need.
Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) is a Federal income supplement program
funded by general tax revenues (not
Social Security taxes):
● It is designed to help aged, blind,
and disabled people, who have little or no income; and
● It provides cash to meet basic needs
for food, clothing, and shelter.
>>
More at the Social Security Administration |
“This truly innovative program will provide
invaluable assistance and support to patients and families coping with
severely disabling rare diseases,” said Peter L. Saltonstall, President
and CEO of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).
“On
behalf of those patients and families, I want to thank Commissioner Astrue and his enthusiastic team for creating and now expanding a
program that will have a direct impact on the quality of life of
thousands of individuals."
“The initiative not only assists those whose
applications are quickly processed, but also assists those whose
applications need more time and attention from SSA adjudicators,” said
Marty Ford, Co-Chair, Social Security Task Force, Consortium for
Citizens with Disabilities.
“We are pleased to see today's expansion
and look forward to working with Commissioner Astrue on further
expansion of this decision-making tool and other ways to expedite
determinations and decisions for disability claims.”
“We will continue to hold hearings and look for
other diseases and conditions that can be added to our list of
Compassionate Allowances," Commissioner Astrue said. “There can be no
higher priority than getting disability benefits quickly to those
Americans with these severe and life-threatening conditions.”
Social Security will begin electronically
identifying these 38 new conditions March 1.
For more information about the agency’s
Compassionate Allowances initiative, go to
www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.
New Compassionate Allowance Conditions
1.
Alstrom Syndrome
2.
Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
3.
Ataxia
Spinocerebellar
4.
Ataxia
Telangiectasia
5.
Batten
Disease
6.
Bilateral Retinoblastoma
7.
Cri du
Chat Syndrome
8.
Degos
Disease
9.
Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease
10.
Edwards Syndrome
11.
Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
12.
Fukuyama Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
13.
Glutaric Acidemia Type II
14.
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), Familial Type
15.
Hurler
Syndrome, Type IH
16.
Hunter
Syndrome, Type II
17.
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
18.
Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, Lethal Type
19.
Late
Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses
20.
Leigh’s Disease
21.
Maple
Syrup Urine Disease
22.
Merosin Deficient Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
23.
Mixed
Dementia
24.
Mucosal Malignant Melanoma
25.
Neonatal Adrenoleukodystrophy
26.
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses, Infantile Type
27.
Niemann-Pick Type C
28.
Patau
Syndrome
29.
Primary Progressive Aphasia
30.
Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
31.
Sanfilippo Syndrome
32.
Subacute Sclerosis Panencephalitis
33.
Tay
Sachs Disease
34.
Thanatophoric Dysplasia, Type 1
35.
Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
36.
Walker
Warburg Syndrome
37.
Wolman
Disease
38.
Zellweger Syndrome
