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Newest Compassionate Allowances Bring Fast-Track Disability Conditions to 200

On Behalf of | Sep 12, 2013 | Uncategorized

At the end of 2012, Commissioner of Social Security Michael J. Astrue announced the addition of 35 Compassionate Allowances to the Social Security Disability programs list of fast-track medical conditions.

The additional conditions bring the total number of Compassionate Allowances conditions to 200. Individuals with conditions listed as Compassionate Allowances are often able to obtain quicker approval of Social Security Disability benefits, without having to submit the full evidence required for approval of most SSDI claims.

For many people applying for disability benefits, the process can takes months or even years. Most applications are initially denied, and obtaining benefits is often the culmination of persistence in the face of disability hearings, requests for reconsideration, and appeals. Those with the greatest chance of obtaining benefits approval are generally those who have legal representation from a Social Security Disability lawyer. However, since the Compassionate Allowances program began in October 2008, more than 200,000 people with severe disabilities to obtain benefits in as little as two weeks, according to Commissioner Astrue.

Compassionate Allowances (CAL) conditions are determined with input from public hearings, feedback from Social Security and Disability Determination Services, input from medical experts, and research with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to the Social Security Administration (SSA) website, “Compassionate Allowances (CAL) are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal objective medical information. Compassionate Allowances allow Social Security to target the most obviously disabled individuals for allowances based on objective medical information that we can obtain quickly.” The full list of CAL conditions is available on the SSA website, and it includes certain types of cancer, adult brain disorders, and other severely disabling conditions.

On the Compassionate Allowances page of the SSA website, the agency asserts, “Social Security has an obligation to provide benefits quickly to applicants whose medical conditions are so serious that their conditions obviously meet disability standards.” Unfortunately for many applicants, what they feel is an “obvious” medical condition may require extensive documentation, disability hearings, and a complicated appeals process. Rather than quickly obtaining much-needed benefits, they are left struggling financially while awaiting the benefits approval they deserve. Attorney representation can help expedite the process by ensuring all documentation is supported, all deadlines are met, and every step of the application process is handled appropriately and effectively. Visit OklahomaCityLegalGroup.com to find an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer in Oklahoma.

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