Almost anyone that applies for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) will have to wait a very long time to find out whether they are approved or not. That is due to a huge backlog of disability cases pending and the wait times are not expected to lessen any time soon. A certain population of an applicant may benefit from some special rules. Read on to learn more about the compassionate allowance list of disabilities.
1. Special Medical Conditions
The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains a list of common medical conditions but they also have a list of conditions that deserve special expedited attention. Not only does having a condition on the compassionate allowance list speed up the approval process, but it may also make the process easier on applicants by easing the requirements for proof.
More personalized help to get applicants approved is available for applicants suffering from covered conditions. For example, the SSA might mail the applicant a request for medical records and then they must ask for, say, a test result and send it to the SSA. With compassionate allowance applicants, the SSA will phone a doctor and obtain the results for you, which makes the approval process easier on those suffering from the severe illnesses covered.
2. Compassionate Allowance Conditions
In many cases, the diseases covered under the list are expected to be of a more serious and often fatal variety. Listed are hundreds of types of cancers, brain disorders, heart problems, and more. The burden of proving a particular disease can mean waiting months for most applicants but that time is cut short by quite a bit if the disease appears on the list. This is done by assigning these cases to caseworkers who work only with a few applicants at a time to get the benefits as soon as a few weeks, in some cases.
3. Special Qualification Issues
While compassionate allowance conditions can make things easier, the disease itself must meet the requirements and they can be more stringent than usual. For example, with breast cancer, you might have to show that you are suffering from it by submitting test results and doctor's notes.
For you to get to compassionate allowance level treatment, you must also show that the breast cancer has metastasized. Most of the cancers on the list are those that have spread to other parts of the body. Also, the list primarily covers end-stage diseases. In some cases, those who deserve help from the SSA won't get it without taking further action. If you have been denied your benefits, speak to a Social Security lawyer about your appeal hearing. Particularly when dealing with a condition of a certain magnitude, time is of the essence.
For more assistance, contact law services like Attorney John B. Martin Law Offices.
