Social Security Compassionate Allowance Conditions List

Compassionate allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that clearly qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits.

The compassionate allowances list allows the agency to electronically target and make speedy decisions for the most obviously disabled individuals. If a claimant has a condition on the Compassionate Allowance list the SSA will approve their disability in as little as 10 days, with limited medical information which proves their diagnosis.

Quick Facts

• Compassionate allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal objective medical information.
• Compassionate Allowances (CAL) apply to both SSDI and SSI claims.
• Compassionate Allowances is not a separate program from the Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs.
• U.S. Department of Social Security has held seven Compassionate Allowances public outreach hearings. The hearings were on rare diseases, cancers, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke, early-onset Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, schizophrenia, cardiovascular disease and multiple organ transplants and autoimmune diseases.
• If you have medical documentation to prove that you have one of the qualifying conditions, your initial claim will automatically be flagged by the SSA and processed much quicker.
• If your disabling condition is on the Social Security disability compassionate allowances list, you will want to make certain that your application for Social Security disability benefits clearly states this.

Rare Diseases

Many people with rare diseases encounter delays of months or even years when they apply for assistance through SSA. Compassionate allowances will allow Social Security to quickly target the most obviously disabled individuals for allowances based on objective medical information that we can obtain quickly.

Often, people with rare diseases initially are denied assistance but later reapply, often with the help of an attorney, and ultimately are approved. The delay and expense of attorney fees can be overwhelming to people who are already coping with serious illness, major medical expenses, and loss of ability to perform normal activities, including work.

Obligation

U.S. Social Security has an obligation to provide benefits quickly to applicants whose medical conditions are so serious that their conditions obviously meet disability standards. The Compassionate Allowance initiative will fast-track applications for social Security disability for applicants whose medical conditions are very severe. Currently, many people with rare diseases experience devastating delays when they apply for social Security assistance because those making the decisions are not familiar with their diseases.

The initial list of Compassionate Allowance conditions was developed as a result of information received at public outreach hearings, public comment on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rule-making, comments received from the Social Security and Disability Determination Service communities, and the counsel of medical and scientific experts. Also, we considered which conditions are most likely to meet our current definition of disability.

The Program is Just a Start

There are 6,000 to 7,000 known rare diseases, many of which could qualify for compassionate allowance.

NORD is committed to working with SSA to bring many more rare diseases under this program.

The list below will be expanded over time as more fast track medical conditions are approved.

For more information about the program, including a current up to date list of all compassionate allowance conditions, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances