CERTAIN claims submitted to the Social Security Administration will be processed and approved more efficiently thanks to a new change.
As the federal agency expands its Compassionate Allowances List, or CAL, Americans in need of disability benefits will receive the help they need even sooner.
More than 70 million American adults report having a disability[/caption]
The SSA has officially added 13 more conditions to its CAL list to help speed up the decision process for Americans with severe disabilities, according to a press release on Monday.
The CAL initiative was rolled out nearly 20 years ago to fast-track claims for applicants with critical diseases and medical conditions who clearly meet the agency’s statutory standard for disability.
The 13 conditions that were recently added include:
- Au-Kline Syndrome
- Bilateral Anophthalmia
- Carey-Fineman-Ziter Syndrome
- Harlequin Ichthyosis – Child
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
- LMNA-related Congenital Muscular Dystrophy
- Progressive Muscular Atrophy
- Pulmonary Amyloidosis – AL Type
- Rasmussen Encephalitis
- Thymic Carcinoma
- Turnpenny-Fry Syndrome
- WHO Grade III Meningiomas
- Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim Syndrome
With these new conditions added to the CAL list, disability determinations will now be accelerated for 300 conditions.
Since its founding in 2008, the CAL initiative has sped up the disability benefits process for more than 1.1 million individuals with severe disabilities.
Disability stats
- 13.9% of US adults have a cognition disability with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
- 12.2% of US adults have a mobility disability with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
- 7.7% of US adults have an independent living disability with difficulty doing errands alone.
- 6.2% of US adults are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.
- 5.5% of US adults have a vision disability with blindness or serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses.
- 3.6% of US adults have a self-care disability with difficulty dressing or bathing.
Source: CDC
“We are constantly looking for ways to improve our disability programs and serve the public more effectively,” said SSA Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano in the press release.
“By adding these 13 conditions to the Compassionate Allowances list, we are helping more people with devastating diagnoses to quickly receive the support they need.
“This is part of our broader commitment to making the disability determination process as responsive and compassionate as possible.”
SAVING GRACE
The SSA hands out trillions of dollars each year in the form of retirement, survivors, and disability benefits, with the Social Security Disability Insurance program, or SSDI, standing as the largest disability program in the US.
Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, is another key federal disability program, handing out benefits to individuals with disabilities or those who have limited income and resources.
Over 70 million American adults, or over one in four, report having a disability, per the CDC.
The CAL program shortens the amount of time it takes for Americans to get approved for SSDI and/or SSI benefits.
It was initially introduced to reduce waiting times for applicants with clearly disabling conditions, speeding up the process while remaining fully policy-compliant.
Are you eligible for SSDI benefits?
To qualify for SSDI benefits, you must have sufficient work experience in jobs covered by Social Security and have a medical condition that meets the SSA’s strict definition of disability.
Work requirement:
Work credits are based on a worker’s total annual wages or self-employment income, with the ability to earn up to four credits yearly.
The amount needed for a work credit changes from year to year.
This year, Americans earn one work credit for each $1,810 in wages or self-employment income they work in each quarter of the year.
Once they have earned $7,240, they have earned their four credits for the year.
The number of work credits need to qualify for SSDI depends on one’s age when their disability begins.
Disability requirement:
SSDI benefits are only paid out to those with a total disability, not a partial or short-term disability.
The SSA consider Americans to have a qualifying disability if all the following are true:
- You cannot do work at the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level because of your medical condition.
- You cannot do work you did previously or adjust to other work because of your medical condition.
- Your condition has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12 consecutive months or to result in death.
Source: SSA
When individuals apply for disability benefits, the SSA must obtain medical records to help accurately determine their eligibility.
Advanced tools are then used to identify and expedite claims submitted by applicants with medical evidence indicating a CAL condition.
“While claims still have to go through the traditional process, the agency is now using advanced technology to speed things up,” Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek.
“If you’re diagnosed with something on the Compassionate Allowances list, your claim could be processed much faster.
“Long term, this could mean fewer delays and less financial strain for those facing serious medical conditions, but it also puts pressure on Social Security to keep up with technology and ensure the system remains fair and accurate.”
Read up on the maximum disability benefits explained, and a calendar quirk that means your check will come early.
Plus, see why veterans’ health bills are under fire in a new Fed probe after a “double billing” crackdown.
HOW TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
Here’s how to supplement your Social Security:
Given the uncertainty surrounding Social Security’s long-term future, it’s essential for workers to consider ways to supplement their retirement income.
Senior Citizens League executive director, Shannon Benton recommends starting early with savings and investing in retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs.
- 401(k) Plans
- A 401(k) is a retirement account offered through employers, where contributions are tax-deferred.
- Many employers also match employee contributions, typically between 2% and 4% of salary, making it a valuable tool for building retirement savings.
- Maxing out your 401(k) contributions, especially if your employer offers a match, should be a priority.
- IRAs
- An Individual Retirement Account (IRA) offers another avenue for retirement savings.
- Unlike a 401(k), an IRA isn’t tied to your employer, giving you more flexibility in your investment choices.
- Contributions to traditional IRAs are tax-deductible, and the funds grow tax-free until they are withdrawn, at which point they are taxed as income.
