If you have been diagnosed with life altering spinal muscular atrophy you will find it is a medical condition which has been added to the Social Security Administration (SSA)compassionate allowance list which means it is a medical condition that automatically qualifies you for disability benefits.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has compiled a list of at least 200 debilitating medical conditions that automatically qualify the victim for this compassionate allowance. However, this doesn’t make social security disability payments completely automatic when you apply through the SSA with spinal muscular atrophy.
All medical conditions listed include criteria which show your spinal muscular atrophy is so severe you are unable to work.
What is the Compassionate Allowance List?
The medical conditions on the SSA compassionate allowance list, including spinal muscular atrophy, that may qualify for compassionate allowances are specifically those that are life threatening and can cause severe disabilities due to medical conditions like terminal cancers, debilitating genetic disorders, malignant melanoma with metastases and spinal muscular atrophy.
This list means anyone who has had the misfortune of being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy will be entitled to access disability benefits payments far faster than usual. The payments commonly start within a month of the social disability benefits claim for spinal muscular atrophy being sent to the SSA.
Qualifying for Disability Benefits With Spinal Muscular Atrophy
When the claim for spinal muscular atrophy is assessed, the SSA officer responsible for the assessment will first have a look and see if the spinal muscular atrophy condition is on the SSA list of compassionate allowances. If the medical evidence including any test results is provided with the claim which show that the claimant’s disability matches that found with spinal muscular atrophy then the disability payments will start as soon as possible.
Liver cancer, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, Schindler disease Type 1 and many other severe life threatening medical conditions are on the compassionate allowances list which will usually automatically qualify a victim for social security disability benefits.
Medical Evidence Needed to Qualify
Before you get approval for your social security disability benefits claim due to spinal muscular atrophy the SSA will ask you to provide appropriate medical evidence which proves that your medical condition matches the criteria in the special allowance listing. To be certain a disability benefits claim is approved the medical evidence provided must shows that spinal muscular atrophy has been diagnosed.
The evidence you should provide must include a copy of a full medical report which shows that the spinal muscular atrophy is so disabling that you cannot take part in any paid employment. This helps the approval of your social security disability claim under the compassionate allowance listing for spinal muscular atrophy.
In addition, you should make available a spinal muscular atrophy diagnosis completed by your physician that proves that you have spinal muscular atrophy. There is a blood test available which indicates the presence of the medical condition. There other diagnostic tests too which could include the following:
- electromyography which records the muscle’s electrical during contraction and while at rest;
- nerve conduction velocity studies which measure the nerve’s ability to transmit an electrical signal;
- a muscle biopsy which is used to diagnose neuromuscular disorders.
Next Steps to Take
If you have been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy and you have the evidence to prove it, you should qualify for social security disability benefits under the SSA compassionate allowances’ list. If you seek help from a disability attorney this will ensure you have provided all the required evidence that will help you to get your disability payments processed quickly.
