The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced on Monday that it has added 13 serious medical conditions to its Compassionate Allowances (CAL) list. This program speeds up disability decisions for people with severe illnesses.
Why This Matters
The CAL program helps people whose diagnoses clearly meet the legal definition of disability get approved faster. Since it began, more than 1.1 million people have received benefits through this quicker process.
What’s New
With these additions, there are now 300 conditions on the CAL list. This should help the SSA make decisions faster for people with certain serious diseases.
The 13 new conditions are:
- 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
When someone applies for disability benefits and has one of these conditions, the SSA can use advanced tools to find and prioritize their case.
What Officials Are Saying
SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano said: “By adding these 13 conditions, we can help more people with serious illnesses get the support they need faster.”
Alex Beene, a financial literacy teacher at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “This is welcome news. People with these conditions will have shorter wait times to get benefits.”
Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group, added: “If you’re diagnosed with something on the CAL list, your claim could be processed much faster.”
What’s Next
The SSA encourages people who think they qualify to apply online at SSA.gov. Experts say this change could mean fewer delays and less financial stress for people with serious illnesses. However, it also means the SSA must keep up with technology to make sure the process stays fair.
