The Compassionate Allowances Program
If you have a rare or severe medical condition you may be able to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits under a program called Compassionate Allowances. Under the Compassionate Allowances program, those suffering from certain medical conditions and impairments will have their application processed quickly through the “fast track” program which helps administrators rapidly identify and process medical conditions on the program’s list of medical impairments.
In March of 2010, the Social Security Administration added 38 additional diseases to its list of 50 diseases. Now there are 88 diseases on the list. The additions to the list came after a long review process which included a series of public hearings.
According to the Social Security Administration’s website,
“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 Rulemaking, comments received from the Social Security and Disability Determination Service communities, and the counsel of medical and scientific experts. The expanded list of conditions was developed by holding additional public outreach hearings, working closely with the National Institutes of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Organization for Rare Disorders, and other groups.”