Social Security Expands Compassionate Allowances List – Expedites Decisions for People with Severe Disabilities
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 15, 2024
Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced nine new Compassionate Allowances (CAL) conditions and revisions to two existing CAL conditions: Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome, Costello Syndrome, Adult Heart Transplant Wait List – Status Levels 1-4, Child Heart Transplant Wait List – Status Levels 1A/1B (revised existing condition), Histiocytic Malignancies, Histiocytosis Syndromes (revised existing condition), Neonatal Marfan Syndrome, PACS1 Syndrome, Plasmablastic Lymphoma, Renal Medullary Carcinoma, and Snijders Blok-Campeau Syndrome.
The Compassionate Allowances program quickly identifies claims where the applicant’s medical condition or disease 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, more than one million people with severe disabilities have been approved through this accelerated, policy-compliant disability process, which now includes a total of 287 conditions.
“I am steadfastly committed to reducing the amount of time people wait to receive a decision on their disability claim, and we are making progress,” said Commissioner O’Malley. “Compassionate Allowances helps in this effort by accelerating the disability application process for people who are likely to get approved for benefits due to the severity of their medical condition.”
When a person applies for disability benefits, Social Security must obtain medical records in order to make an accurate determination. The agency incorporates leading technology to identify potential CAL conditions and make quick decisions. Social Security’s Health IT brings the speed and efficiency of electronic medical records to the disability determination process. Through 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.
For more information about the program, including a list of all CAL conditions, please visit www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances.
To learn more about Social Security’s Health IT program, please visit www.ssa.gov/hit.
People may apply online for disability benefits by visiting www.ssa.gov.
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Tags: Disability, social security disability benefits, SSI, supplemental security income
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Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
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Doreen M.
My son was on SSI all his life he’s 38 now they tell me there putting him on disability and taking 97.00 a month out of his check to pay for medical this is bull there putting us on the streets
S.S.
We’re sorry to hear about your experience, Doreen. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We encourage you to continue to work with your local Social Security office. You can ask to speak with a supervisor during your next call or visit. Or you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We hope this matter gets resolved soon.
Tonya H.
I am here to get an understanding of this new system and how it is beneficial for my daughter. My daughter is about to 29 years old and is in the process of transitioning to Adult Disabled Child. She was diagnosed in 2006, has had 20+ surgeries, 2 DNR’s, 1 DNI’s, hospice, and by the grace of God she is still with me. She had been getting SSI up until 2022, she was attending school. I had been working from 1986 until 2019, and unfortunately from working a full time job and caring for her by myself and raising her older siblings, my body had much wear and tear. I was forced to stop working through my surgeries, I became disabled.
Last year in June they stopped her check to transitioning, and her case is now with Disability Determination Services, when I followed up a few weeks ago they told me they were waiting to get her assigned a case manager and they were still working on cases from November 2022. I sent in her results from the genetics lab with her diagnosis, her motorized paperwork from her PCP of her being incapacited, her last IEP from her teacher, so what else do they need. Her diagnosis was progressive and destructive, she is fed, bathed, diapers changed by me. She cannot walk nor is she verbal. So now that it has been over 14 months since they stopped her funds, I am relying off of my check and savings which is dwindling. I know they are short on staff and I am looking for answers before things get worse for us. She was already in the system from before, so is this system going to be more productive with regards of obtaining and evaluating the medical records to expedite approvals or denials? We are paying the cost of the lack of productivity, personnel, and organization. I would like answers.
S.S.
Hi Tonya, thank you for using our blog. For security reasons, we do not have access to personal information in this venue. It may be best for you to visit your local Social Security office to discuss your daughters case. Hope this helps!
Regina J.
The COLA gives my 2 grandkids and I barely over $80 for a year. Working people get multiple raises all the time. My grocery expenses have went up by 200.00 this year alone. We have been hungry for days at the end of the month. You have no idea how that hurts me and infuriates me. I live in America. I go to pantries when I have the gas to go and my precious grandkids go hungry in America. Ya’ll set in your fancy everything offices and homes and you crunch numbers. My grandkids are just numbers to my Country. Human beings are not thought about. I know one older lady who lives on pot pies and tv dinners. She has to live on microwave food in America because she can’t afford normal groceries. That’s sorry that US preach how well it treats it’s people but it’s a LIE.
Jaime
What is COLA?
Visaghan B.
Thank you for sharing the information is very helpful and valuable.
Bradley P.
To Commissioner of Social Security Administration
Mr Martin O’Malley regarding your announcement today with Compassionate Allowances
I
am the sole care assist for my Brother whom is a Major Stroke surviver now 3 year’s and eight months since his stroke.
In my Brother’s case
His stroke left him
with life shattering
consequences
due to:
severe speech apraxia dysphagia, along
with severe global aphasia receptive and expressive
this traumatic brain
accident has
profoundly effected all modalities of language, speech, single words, sentences, conversations All spoken output..! Zippo okay
these
impairments THERE wasn’t
ever any ? Gray Area’s about it!!!!!!! not One member of my Brother’s care team from the four treating hospital’s within the 45 day’s post stroke NOT ONE Person involved with my Brother’s care ever had any doubts he at the time of hospital discharging WAS a Patient with the following UNRESOLVED Medical Problem’s
Non verbal ! Patient is unable too communicate with other People due to severe speech apraxia dysphagia along with severe global aphasia receptive and expressive
He
Can’t Speak
Can’t Write
Nor gesture bodily with any accuracy but poor accuracy
He is unable too make informed decisions… All that written into literally every page in
his medical records
okay so 45 day’s post stroke homebound my Brother’s Hospital discharged “Hospices approved” Sir ! ! a
D.N.R. (do not resuscitate) attachment still dangling from that Hospital wrist band
patients leave with
impairments: assistance dependant heavy, 24 7 supervision required, incontinent X 2,
Severe motor neuron disease parkinson’s multiple sclerosis
all rehabilitation done was done outta nothing more than for documentation and
my Brother expressing episodes with terminal agitation ! Sadness and compelling desires too disembark from further
clammy grippiest arm holds
of unyielding Hospital – ism
Three Year’s and Eight Months since his stroke and since I’d filed for disability benefits on His behalf
Denied twice first at initial stage’s then at recon appeal Sir…! And let’s be
brutally honest with
reality HERE
You mentioned in this announcement that “when a person applies for disability benefits, Social Security must (SSA must ?) obtain medical records in order to make accurate determination. The agency incorporates leading technology to identify potential CAL conditions and make quick decisions… OH Yeah
Hmmmmmmmmn
Let me quote a paragraph outta
my brother’s letter’s of denial authored out from
the adjudicating writer’s
okay
“an uncooperative claimant who’s unwilling to provide medical evidence of an alleged disability”
Let me tell you too that the medical records evidence that the SSA had obtained and I’m saying that what they had in their house “my Brother’s
E Folder okay THE SSA
The DDS disability determination services representative’s
were in FACT able too obtain download ALL ! of my Brother’s medical records from all four treating hospital’s within the 45 day’s post stroke period
THEY HAD IT ALL and they obtained it really quick
there’d be “Time STAMPS DATE’S” attached to every page The
Significance of THIS HUGE huge as in HEY In both of those letters of denial the adjudicating writer’s authored out that my Brother’s been an uncooperative claimant who’s been UNWILLING TO PROVIDE MEDICAL EVIDENCE OF AN ALLEGED DISABILITY !
They
claimed that they’d only been able to obtain a couple of pages of medical records and it didn’t measure up for anything disabled IF I’M LYING ARREST MY BUTT RIGHT NOW Mr Commissioner of Social Security Administration I’m not stating anything but truth and fact’s.
The SSA computer systems did indeed ! Do it’s job
it identified over FIVE grid rules identical from the Four treating hospital’s WOW !
the damned thing ain’t nothing but accurate spot on
Neurological matching grid rules…!
Ultimately it be an Administrative Law Judge whom…! Approved
my Brother’s claim
Fully favorable
and guess
what grid rules she applied
THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT
those grid rules matching up four treating hospital’s identical five time’s over
Only
Problem is was ?
back then…..?
was that all the computer systems could do was simply too…! Getting it right
those grid rules matching to uploaded data from the four treating hospital’s BUT NOTHING..! nothing else !
the darn thing
can only mark red flags to matching grid rules and fart diodes night and day BUT IT CAN’T DO ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT !
and obviously
neither did any of the three DDS rep’s do anything else about it after they downloaded it all
they LIED THEIR DARN Fanny’s off they were flooded with all my Brother’s medical records evidence I sent electronically I sent by hard copy too local SSA facility as directed…!
Nobody however could or would ever acknowledge to me if they’d received my submitted medical records evidence submitted form’s SSA 3380 BK adult third party functional reports I SENT FOUR OR FIVE by electronic and by mail
This was and is EVEN MORE terrifying than I am stating I’m not Well..! my brother’s been bed bound confined for over a year now, he’s weakening frail
The Administrative Law Judge insisted on a current medical evidence witness
I reluctantly agreed to it despite the fact that THIS IS A HOSPICES HOUSE GOOD GRIEF ALL MIGHTY FATHER I
just it’s just been nothing but HELL and terrorizing from these folks lying the lying the not answering my phone calls returning voicemail
The onslaught of continuesly sending out forms directing my non verbal severely disabled globally aphasic speech apraxia dysphagia severely mentally challenged brother TOO FILL OUT over and over and over again and again
Busting my chops for not complying busting his chops for not complying IGNORING MY PLEADING FOR HELP my begging for direct needs YOU FOLK’S ? Anybody else have any of these issues ?
Okay so
the A.L.J. wanted a Medical Doctor in my house via teleconference with me my brother and the doctor ALL For the sake of “is he still non verbal? is he still right side weak?
Oh My GODDDDDD !
well . . . they got it !
The
Doctor Myself We both with cellular devices me holding up a tablet phone camera whatever…..! the
doctor seeing my brother ! Okay so he’s not exactly pretty anymore (AWWWWWWWWWE)
I mean THE MAN’S BEEN DYING…that kinda dying it
the way THE WAY THAT YA DO WHEN YOU have that
life shattering major stroke son of a bitch thing YOU KNOW MAN YOU GETTING IT
The Doctor was tearing up as she was also scrolling like hell through the whole enchilada my brother’s medical records and count how many times did she appear dumbfounded ?
I lost track.
I’m tearing up she’s apologizing on behalf of the SSA … I’m simply green in the gill’s
I mean it was the first time that any living creatures ever communicated with me like that about my brother about what we’d been through…!
and today hell shit I’m still trying to obtain his back pay the sooner than later please let me have IT please ?
I am now and have been trying to provide a peaceful environment for him and making him as comfortable as possible TEARING UP TOWELS for under pads and incontinent wipes HAD GOTTEN DAMNED OLD THREE YEAR’S AGO
AS
DID laundering soiled bedding by hand through the kitchen sink and blowing off the heavy outback with the garden hose
all because our washer and dryer busted three year’s ago I’M POOR I’M FIXED INCOME I
am an old guy in my old farty boxers doing hospice care assist myself for my dear brother
And so it is !
AWWWWWWWWWE AWWWWWWWWWE awe
Did I mention that I am poor that my brother’s disability claim was approved that all the financial check’s and balances were completed that were STILL waiting for financial conclusion with the DARNED NEEDED FUND’S SO HE CAN BE APPROPRIATELY RESOURCED
finally you u u u Know
His Cal fresh got terminated last month because I lagged on completing the renewal or actually they had been communicating addressing my brother and even scheduling him too come in person to their office ummm
I could have should have been more responsive to the county offices it’s just that I’d been so dead horse kicked with the SSA the crap of it ALL so much that I’d simply dropped the county ball here with the food stamp card and dang it that’s a big
deal cause my brother is expensive
Ensure supplemental nutritional drink’s their $15.50 to $44.50 per six pack THAT’S RIGHT
and it’d been about 90% of my entire food budget we
we still came up short each month anyways
And now a big wet bite outta our butt’s with the snap card terminated
It’ll be another month till it’s fixed if it be.
The back pay still remaining balance ? God only knows.
Thanks for Sharing
Your’s truly
Mr B
Cynthia D.
Contact Senator Bookers office
Mercedes G.
This change in policy will make it easier for the recipient to be approved, which is wonderful. I’ve waited 2 years for my approval and still don’t have it
Josh A.
To whom it may concern,
Has anyone considered large payment increases, for couples who are always struggling, month to month, wondering what their going to eat, or deciding to eat less or cut down on utility services…..
Michael E.
If am a 80% disabled army veteran can I get social security disability .
RichA911
Commissioner O’Malley, thank you for your understanding and hard work in helping people with disabilities. Your understanding and compassion doesn’t go unnoticed.
Thank you
JeSui
These benefits should be exclusively for American citizens. Americans have worked hard and contributed to Social Security. No foreigners should be given these benefits.