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Is my rare condition covered by disability?

On Behalf of | Sep 30, 2021 | Social Security Disability

The Social Security Administration’s disability income program assists people with disabilities. It pays income to the disabled individual and family members as long as they meet specific medical requirements.

The SSA does not list all diseases and conditions under their Blue Book instead of focusing on common ones. If you have a rare condition and you cannot find if the SSA covers it, you may qualify for a Compassionate Allowance.

What is a compassionate allowance?

The Compassionate Allowance or CAL initiative quickly identifies disabilities by using technology to cut the waiting time for those whose disabilities meet SSA’s requirements. Currently, there are over 6800 rare conditions recognized by the National Organization for Rare Disorders. This organization works with the SSA to add more disorders and diseases to the SSA’s CAL list.

What are some covered conditions?

The list of Compassionate Allowance Disorders continues to grow. Here are a few of those conditions:

  • Alpers Disease
  • Alstrom Syndrome
  • Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
  • Aortic Atresia
  • Breast Cancer
  • Child Lymphoma
  • Fatal Familial Insomnia
  • Lewy Body Dementia
  • Pearson Syndrome
  • Wolman Disease
  • Zellweger Syndrome

The SSA receives information about new disorders from the public, medical and scientific experts, and research from the National Institute of Health. Anyone can suggest a name of a condition for consideration.

Do not give up if you do not find your condition listed in the Blue Book. Look under the Compassionate Allowances section of the Disability website. Keeping track of your medical records and knowing what conditions are on the Compassionate Allowance’s list may give you the best chance of getting approved for disability assistance.