Social Security Fast-Tracks Decisions for People with Severe Disabilities

Social Security Fast-Tracks Decisions for People with Severe Disabilities

The Social Security Administration announced five new Compassionate Allowance conditions: Fibrolamellar Cancer, Megacystis Microcolon Intestinal Hypoperistalsis Syndrome (MMISH), Megalencephaly Capillary Malformation Syndrome (MCAP), Superficial Siderosis of the Central Nervous Systems, and Tetrasomy 18p.

Compassionate Allowances is a program to quickly identify medical conditions and serious diseases that meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits.

 The Compassionate Allowances program identifies claims where the applicant’s disease or condition clearly meets Social Security’s statutory standard for disability. Due to the severe nature of many of these conditions, these claims are often allowed based on medical confirmation of the diagnosis alone. To date, over 500,000 people with serious disabilities have been approved through this fast- track policy-complaint disability process. The list has grown to a total of 233 conditions, including diseases such as pancreatic cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and acute leukemia.

Social Security incorporates leading technology to easily identify potential Compassionate Allowances and make quick decisions. For disability cases not covered by this program, Social Security’s Health IT brings the speed and efficiency of electronic medical records to the disability determination process.

When a person applies for disability benefits, Social Security must obtain medical records in order to make an accurate determination. It may take a few weeks for health care organizations to provide medical records for the applicant’s case. With electronic records transmission, Social Security is able to quickly obtain a claimant’s medical information, review it, and make a determination faster than ever before.

Please contact Lemire & Higgins at 518-899-5700 or visit: www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances to find out if you qualify under one of these five Compassionate Allowance conditions.

To learn more about Social Security’s Health IT program, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/hit.