The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) has made it easier for individuals with rare health conditions to access benefits. The agency announced the addition of 14 new diseases to its Compassionate Grants (CAL) list.
With this addition, the total number of medical conditions eligible for the CAL program reaches 314. Being included on the Compassionate Grants list significantly speeds up the process of applying for disability benefits, which could otherwise take months or even longer to be approved or denied, offering essential support for patients in serious and urgent conditions.
The CAL program was created in 2008 and, since its inception, has secured the approval of more than 1.2 million people with severe disabilities, according to data released by the SSA.
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“The Compassionate Grants initiative eliminates bureaucratic barriers and allows us to quickly deliver support to individuals facing life-changing diagnoses and in need of immediate assistance,” SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in a statement.
The 14 new health conditions added to the CAL list are:
- Adenylosuccinate Lyase Deficiency – Neonatal Form and Type 1
- Aicardi syndrome
- Baraitser-Winter Syndrome
- Beare-Stevenson Cutis Gyrata Syndrome
- Bohring-Opitz syndrome
- Genetic Disorders Related to the CASK Gene
- Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma
- Lafora’s disease
- Malignant Partial Migratory Seizures of Childhood (MMPSI)
- OPHN1 syndrome
- Primary Cardiac Sarcoma
- Primary Intracranial Malignant Melanoma
- Uveal melanoma – with metastases
- Micro Warburg Syndrome
To apply for disability benefits for conditions that are on the CAL list, the SSA requires medical records in order to make an accurate determination. Through its Health Information Technology (Health IT) program, the agency has access to electronic medical records, which allows for faster and more accurate decisions, according to the SSA.
The SSA employs the same rules for evaluating CAL listing conditions when analyzing the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplement Security Income (SSI) programs.
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SSI is a program linked to Social Security that provides monthly payments to people with disabilities, as well as seniors and children with disabilities. Millions of benefits are issued monthly, based on factors such as age or medical condition, limited income and limited financial resources that are considered in each payment.
To be considered eligible, you must meet certain requirements, according to the SSA. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, or a “non-citizen in one of the specific alien classifications” as indicated by the SSA.
Additionally, the individual must be at least 65 years old, blind or disabled, and have limited income and financial resources.
Payments are generally distributed on the first day of each month, unless this date falls on a weekend or holiday.
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SSDI provides monthly payments to people who have a disability that prevents or restricts their ability to work. The SSA states that eligibility occurs if the individual has a disability or blindness and a sufficient work history.
Your benefits may include a monthly payment and Medicare coverage and are calculated based on your work history prior to the onset of your disability.
SSDI payments typically follow the same Wednesday-based schedule as Social Security retirement benefits. However, some beneficiaries may receive payments on different dates, depending on when they started receiving benefits or other scheduling rules.