Published: October 29, 2008 10:57 am      

Social Security changes rules

The Social Security Administration announced a program that could shorten the time it takes for seriously ill individuals to get their Social Security benefits.

The Compassionate Allowances initiative is a way to speed up the processing of disability claims for applicants whose medical conditions are so severe that their conditions obviously meet Social Security’s standards.

“This is something they’ve needed to do for a long time,” said Benelle Fitts with the Texoma Area on Aging.

Fitts — who helps her elderly clients weave their way through Medicare and Medicaid issues — said she’s seen individuals die before they could get their social security benefits.

“Sometimes people who have cancer (or other life-threatening conditions) will apply for benefits. They could wait up to 90 days or longer and sometimes pass away before they are approved,” Fitts said. “I think it’s great if they’ve got a program to expedite applications.”

“Getting benefits quickly to people with the most severe medical conditions is both the right and the compassionate thing to do,” said Michael J. Astrue, commissioner of Social Security. “This initiative will allow us to make decisions on these cases in a matter of days, rather than months or years.”

Social Security officials say they isolated 50 qualifying conditions for the initiative and will continue to add diseases and conditions. Of the list of impairments, 25 are rare diseases and 25 are cancer conditions.

Among the conditions on the current list are acute leukemia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), certain types of brain tumors and inoperable cancers including liver or kidney cancers.

Before announcing the initiative, Social Security officials say they held public hearings to gather information from medical experts. The agency also said it enlisted the help of the National Institutes of Health.

Compassionate Allowances is the second phase of the agency’s two-track, fast-track system for certain disability claims. When combined with the agency’s Quick Disability Determination process, and once it is fully implemented, the system is expected to result in six to nine percent of disability cases being decided in an average of just six to eight days.

Jana Cockrell, alternate site delivery manager for Home Hospice of Cooke County, said she, too, believes the expedited process will likely be a positive step in helping people.

“We’re seen people (who probably can qualify for Medicare) waiting for benefits. Sometimes, they die before they can be approved,” she said. “It can take as long as two years to get benefits.”

But Cockrell said Home Hospice takes all seriously ill individuals into its programs regardless of whether or not they have insurance.

“The thing about us is that because Home Hospice of Cooke County is not-for-profit, we take everybody in spite of their ability to pay. That means we pay for care, for medications. We see this happening a lot. Patients are waiting for their Medicare and they have no insurance. These are the patients we take care of,” Cockrell said. “Anything that helps these people get their benefits is a good thing.”

Peter Saltonstall, president of the National Organization for Rare Disorders said the program took a relatively short time to develop.

“It has taken Social Security less than a year to develop this much-needed program that will benefit those whose claims merit expedited consideration based on the nature of their disease. Disability backlogs cause a hardship for patients and their families,” Saltonstall said.

To search the list of health conditions which could expedite the social security benefit application process, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.