Social Security to Add Early Onset Alzheimer's Benefit
All to often people who suffer from disease are unable to get care due to insurance company limitations and policies, lack of insurance or finances to cover expenses. Sometimes folks are left with Social Security Benefit applications for their care.
In its effort to improve and expedite the disability determination process, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that it will add early-onset Alzheimer's disease to its Compassionate Allowances Initiative. The initiative identifies debilitating diseases and medical conditions that meet the SSA's disability standards for Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Social Security is launching this expedited decision process with a total of 50 conditions. Over time, more diseases and conditions will be added. A list of the first 50 impairments -- 25 rare diseases and 25 cancers -- can be found at www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.
This recent development will lead to increased care more quickly for those who could not otherwise afford it.
Since 2003, the Alzheimer's Association has been advocating on behalf of individuals with early-onset Alzheimer's as they navigate the Social Security disability determinations process and welcomes the SSA's decision. Until now, individuals with early-onset Alzheimer's disease have faced a myriad of challenges when applying for SSDI or SSI, including a long decision process, initial denials, and multiple appeals.
Today's decision will simplify and streamline the SSDI/SSI application process and decrease the wait time for benefits, which for some has lasted as long as three years. There are currently an estimated 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease. Although the majority of Alzheimer cases are individuals age 65 and older, a significant number of people under age 65 are also affected by this fatal disease and have few financial options other than the Social Security disability program.
This good news comes at a time when politics has brought the issue of universal health care to a stand still. It always intrigues me that certain folks think the "right" to choose a doctor, hence stumping public/social or universal health care, exists. While, at the same time, those folks shun the idea that anyone has a "right" to not be subject to Rendition based on suspicion, or the "right" of due process.
What ever your reflection on the matter, the recent Compassionate Allowances Initiative moves us in the right direction.
