Can Certain Medical Conditions Get You Approved for Disability Automatically?

Social Security

Dec 7, 2016

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees or automatic wins in disability. However, there are a few medical conditions that are more likely to win than others. Those are more likely to win earlier in the review process, but there are still certain financial or legal requirements that must be met before someone gets approved.

Compassionate Allowances List

Social Security keeps a list of about 200 conditions on this list that are so serious that a simple diagnosis may automatically qualify the applicant for benefits. This list allows Social Security to quickly identify the obviously disabled persons in an effort to provide benefits quickly to those individuals. Illnesses on this list include conditions such as certain types of cancers, ALS, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, among others. Social Security will expedite an application that claims one of these conditions so that a decision may be made as soon as possible.  For a full list of these conditions you may click here.

Listing of Impairments

There are also a select group of medical conditions in the Social Security Administration’s Listing of Impairments Manual that also can qualify as disability with proof of certain conditions met.  The required conditions vary for each specific disorder, most of which will require proof by objective measures in your medical records. Most of the listed impairments are permanent or expected to result in death. Some listings will state a specific period of time for which an impairment will meet the listing. For all others, the evidence must show that an impairment has lasted or can be expected to last for at least 12 months.  All medical conditions on this list are categorized under the specific bodily systems effected, and a full list with requirements is found here.

Again, if your claim falls under either list, there are certain non-medical requirements that must also be met before benefits may be awarded.  These include a required number of years of work with sufficient credits for SSDI and low enough income and assets for SSI eligibility, as well as citizenship or legal residency requirements. If your impairment(s) qualify under one of the lists above, you must still not be working above SGA levels in order to be eligible for benefits. If these requirements are all met, your claim will be sent to a payment center and you will be sent an awards notice with specifics on the benefits you can expect. An experienced Rainwater, Holt & Sexton attorney will help to identify when these criteria are met and to ensure that the proper requests can be made for potentially expedited decisions when applicable.

Call Rainwater, Holt & Sexton today if you need a social security disability lawyer to help navigate the difficulties of filing.