The process of obtaining benefits through Social Security is, unfortunately, rarely a quick one. The average timeline to receive the first decision under the Initial Application is 3-6 months. Initial Application denial rates are in the 80th percentile. You always have the right to appeal this decision. If you get denied, however, there are months between each step in the appeals process. Much of the journey to get benefits is a waiting game. Social Security is often backlogged, exacerbating the issue.
When you can’t work, every day without income affects you financially. Bills don’t pause as you wait for the Social Security Administration to approve your benefits application. Many individuals require costly medical care that falls outside the scope of what their insurance covers. Claimants often ask: Is there anything to be done to speed the process up?
When it comes to disability, Social Security analyzes whether or not the applicant meets a listed impairment. The listings are divided into categories, such as mental, cardio, and respiratory. Within each category are specific impairments, such as anxiety, heart transplant, and cystic fibrosis. Each listing contains criteria that must be satisfied to be considered disabled. If a claimant does not meet a listing, it is then analyzed whether the individual's residual functional capacity is so limiting that they could not perform any job.
Social Security has designated a list of medical conditions that fall under Compassionate Allowance. These conditions, by definition, meet Social Security’s standard for disability benefits. Compassionate Allowance applies whether the applicant is applying for SSDI or SSI benefits.
The Compassionate Allowance List includes certain cancers and rare disorders. The complete list, containing over 200 conditions at the time of this writing, can be found on Social Security’s website. They include, but are not limited to:
Acute Leukemia
Adult-Onset Huntington Disease
Adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Batten Disease
Calciphylaxis
Child Lymphoma
Coffin-Lowry Syndrome
Dravet Syndrome
Erdheim Chester Disease
Ewing Sarcoma
Fryns Syndrome
Gallbladder Cancer
Hepatoblastoma
I Cell Disease
Kufs Disease – Type A And B
Lewy Body Dementia
Lowe Syndrome
Liver Cancer
Maple Syrup Urine Disease
Mixed Dementias
Nut Carcinoma
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Pearson Syndrome
Renpenning Syndrome
Seckel Syndrome
Sinonasal Cancer
Trisomy 9
Zellweger Syndrome
Wolman Disease
The Administration includes diagnostic testing and suggested programmatic assessment to adjudicate a disability determination.
If you or a loved one has a serious condition that is not listed but should be, you can submit it for consideration. SSA refers to multiple sources when it comes to expanding the CAL list, including:
Comments received from the Disability Determination Service and Social Security communities
Notes from the public
Outreach from advocacy groups
Information from past public outreach hearings
Research with the National Institute of Health
Counsel from medical and scientific experts
Don’t let submitting an impairment delay your application for benefits. It could take time for the condition to get added to the list. If you do want to submit one, there is a link on the Social Security website, where you can submit important information, such as:
Name of the medical condition or disease
Condition description
Diagnostic testing
Physical findings
Onset, progression, and treatment of the condition
While this does not suffice as an application for benefits, it could help others in the future with the same impairment, as you have obtained benefits faster.
After submission, SSA will gather any additional medical information and notify you of its decision regarding the potential CAL condition.
Obtaining Social Security benefits can be a long, tedious process. The purpose of the Compassionate Allowance List (CAL) is to reduce the waiting time for individuals with the most severe disabilities. Time is always of the essence. Those with such severe conditions won’t get stuck in the waiting game that many others endure.
The process for obtaining benefits under a condition on the Compassionate Allowance List is the same as with any other impairment. Individuals with a CAL condition should apply for Social Security benefits right when they become disabled.
Once the application is in, Social Security will expedite the claim for anyone with a CAL condition. They incorporate cutting-edge technology to identify potential Compassionate Allowances and make quick decisions easily. Whether a CAL application is getting evaluated for SSDI or SSI, the same rules apply.
If you need assistance applying for SSDI or SSI benefits under CAL, contact Mindset today.
Mindset streamlines the disability benefits process for you or your loved one with a disability that significantly impairs your ability to work.
