The Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits application process can be quite lengthy, with most people waiting at least three months for their initial application to be reviewed. According to national averages, about 70 percent of applications are initially denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Denials occur for a variety of reasons, though insufficient medical documentation supporting the disability claim is the most common cause.
If denied SSDI benefits, the applicant must proceed through a second review. If denied benefits again, the decision can be appealed, and each step in the process increases the wait for benefits by several months. The entire process, from first review to final appeal, can take a year or more, with some applicants waiting more than two years for a final determination on eligibility.
For anyone suffering from a severe disability or terminal illness, waiting months or years for a decision on eligibility for benefits is impossible. For this reason, the SSA implemented the Compassionate Allowances (CAL) program in 2008, which allows for the expedited processing of disability applications which contain certain diagnoses, now including Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease.
Currently, there are 113 conditions which fall under the CAL program. Come August 13, 2012, there will be 52 more added to the list. Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease is among those which will become active in August of this year.
If you’ve received a diagnosis of Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease, the information which follows will help you understand the SSA’s disability claims review process. It will also provide you some insight into how to more quickly see disability benefits approved under the CAL guidelines.
Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease – Condition and Symptoms
Sialic Acid Storage Disease is an inherited disorder that affects the central nervous system, and Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease, or ISSD, is the most severe form of the condition. It is an extremely rare condition, affecting only a few dozen individuals around the world at any given time.
Infants with ISSD have many symptoms, including weak muscle tone, failure to thrive, coarse facial features, malformed bones, pronounced developmental delays, and enlarged hearts, livers and spleens. Additionally, babies born with this condition often have excess fluid in the abdomen and other body cavities.
They may develop seizure disorders as the disease progresses. Many symptoms are present at birth and infants who suffer from ISSD usually don’t survive beyond early childhood.
Diagnosis of the condition can be made by looking for genetic mutations. There are about twenty mutations involved in ISSD. The first signs of the disorder are usually seen at birth and include the more obvious physical symptoms. Genetic testing is a method of confirming the suspected diagnosis then.
Because Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease is a terminal disease with no cure or effective, single treatment, the focus of ISSD treatment instead focuses on support and comfort for the patient. Medications, physical therapy and nutritional supplementation may all be required.
Filing for Social Security Disability with Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease
If you’re filing an application for disability with a diagnosis of Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease, you will be doing so on behalf of a child. The process of filing for SSDI benefits for a child is somewhat different than it is for disabled adults. Though standard filing processes and review procedures vary, the documentation required for showing the presence and severity of a disability is the same regardless.
You must have extensive medical records in any claim for SSD benefits. This is true even if your disability falls under the CAL program. In other words, even with a diagnosis of ISSD, automatic approval of benefits is not guaranteed. You will still need to provide adequate documentation related to the diagnosis and treatment of the condition, including all your medical records, lab and other test results, and statements from treating physicians.
Your Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease Social Security Disability Case
While Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease is now considered a standard condition in the Compassionate Allowances list by the Social Security Administration, and therefore qualifies for expedited processing, the diagnosis alone is not enough to prove SSD eligibility. You must include substantial proof of disability in your application to be found eligible for benefits. A Social Security Disability lawyer can help you through the application and review processes, assist in getting the right documentation into your case file, and can shorten your wait for benefits as well.
To learn more about the Social Security Compassionate Allowance listings or to discover whether you qualify for Social Security Disability benefits with a diagnosis of Infantile Free Sialic Acid Storage Disease, request a free case evaluation today.
