Social Security Speeds Up Disability Benefits: 14 New Conditions Added to the List

The Social Security Administration (SSA) added 14 serious medical conditions to its expedited program for disability applications.

The update raises the number of conditions included to 314 under the Compassionate Allowances (CAL) program.

• Why it matters: People with diagnoses included on this list may have their disability benefit applications processed more quickly, allowing the SSA to identify cases that meet established standards.

14 New Conditions Added to the Social Security Expedited Process

The SSA announced in an official statement on August 11 that it has added the following conditions:

• Adenylosuccinate lyase deficiency, neonatal form and type 1
• Aicardi syndrome
• Baraitser-Winter syndrome
• Beare-Stevenson Cutis Gyrata syndrome
• Bohring-Opitz syndrome
• CASK-related genetic disorders
• Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma
• Lafora disease
• Malignant migrating partial seizures of infancy (MMPSI)
• OPHN1 syndrome
• Primary cardiac sarcoma
• Primary intracranial malignant melanoma
• Metastatic uveal melanoma
• Warburg Micro syndrome

With these additions, Compassionate Allowances now covers 314 conditions.

Being on the List Does Not Automatically Guarantee Benefits

Having a diagnosis included in CAL does not mean that a person will automatically receive disability benefits.

• The program allows the SSA to quickly identify serious diseases and medical conditions that meet the legal standard for receiving these benefits and expedite the processing of the application.
• When someone files a disability application, Social Security must obtain their medical records to determine whether they meet the requirements.

The agency also uses technology to identify potential Compassionate Allowances cases. Through its Health IT program, it can receive certain medical records electronically to help make decisions faster and more accurately.

More Than 1.2 Million Have Been Approved Through This Process

Since the CAL initiative began, more than 1.2 million people with severe disabilities have been approved through this expedited process, according to the SSA.

“Compassionate Allowances cuts through red tape and allows us to provide support to people facing life-altering diagnoses who need help quickly,” Social Security Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in the statement.

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How to Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits

People can apply for Social Security disability benefits through the official Social Security Administration website.

The SSA also maintains the complete list of all 314 conditions currently covered by its Compassionate Allowances program.

• What comes next: People with any of the 14 newly added diagnoses can review SSA requirements and learn how the expedited process works before submitting or continuing their application.