Updates to Disability Workbook

8th Edition

NEWS: SSA ADDS 35 MORE MEDICAL CONDITIONS TO LIST GRANTED FASTER COMPASSIONATE ALLOWANCES

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, has announced that 35 additional Compassionate Allowance conditions have taken effect, bringing the total number of conditions that qualify for the expedited disability process to 200. The additional conditions became part of the Compassionate Allowance list on December 1, 2012. This according to an SSA press release dated December 6, 2012.

The Compassionate Allowance list is a way to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits. The program fast-tracks disability decisions to ensure that Americans with the most serious disabilities receive their benefit decisions within days instead of months or years. These conditions primarily include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children.

Stated another wayby SSA, "the [CAL] initiative is designed to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal, but sufficient, objective medical information.

"If the condition does not meet these strict criteria, it will not be designated as a CAL case.

"All CAL-identified conditions are entered into the Predictive Model (PM) and are selected for CAL processing based solely on the claimant’s allegations listed on the SSA-3368 (Disability Report—Adult) or SSA-3820—(Disability Report—Child). Like Quick Disability Determinations (QDD), CAL cases will receive expedited processing within the context of the existing disability determination process." Program Operation Manual System (POMS)  DI 23022.015

Applicants who have a condition that qualifies for CAL processing should specify the diagnosis when filling out the disability report form for their claims.

Go to Social Security's Internet web site for a complete list of conditions qualifying for CAL processing.

NEWS: SSA ISSUES FIBRO-MYALGIA EVALUATION GUIDES, SOCIAL SECURITY RULING 12-2p

The Social Security Administration says, "The new Ruling provides guidance on how we develop evidence to establish that a person has a medically determinable impairment of fibromyalgia, and how we evaluate fibromyalgia in disability claims and continuing disability reviews under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act." Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 143 / Wednesday, July 25, 2012, page 43640.