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Social
Security Fast-Tracks Decisions for People with Severe
Disabilities
Agency Expands Compassionate Allowance List
Nancy A. Berryhill, Acting Commissioner of Social Security,
last week announced five new Compassionate Allowance
conditions: Fibrolamellar Cancer, Megacystis Microcolon
Intestinal Hypoperistalsis Syndrome (MMIHS), Megalencephaly
Capillary Malformation Syndrome (MCAP), Superficial
Siderosis of the Central Nervous System, 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.
“For nearly a decade, the Compassionate Allowance list has
helped us identify and fast-track cases where individuals
have diseases that are most likely to be approved for
disability benefits,” said Acting Commissioner Berryhill.
“Social Security is committed to ensuring Americans with
qualifying disabilities quickly receive the benefits they
need.”
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-compliant 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.
The agency 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 weeks
for health care organizations to provide 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.
For more information about the program, including a list of
all Compassionate Allowances conditions, please visit
www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.
To learn more about Social Security’s Health IT program,
please visit
www.socialsecurity.gov/hit.
People may apply online for disability benefits by visiting
www.socialsecurity.gov.
To create a my Social Security account, please visit
www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
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