Claimants suffering from terminal diseases have a greater likelihood of receiving Social Security Disability benefits than others.
When a terminally ill person applies for SSDI or SSI disability benefits, the Social Security Administration will process the application as quickly as possible while taking the patient's mental state into account. For example, a terminal patient will not be notified that his or her file will be processed under the Terminal Illness Programme (TERI).
Identifying a TERI Case
Cases of terminal illness are those in which the applicant's death is expected. An applicant does not need to declare on the application that the disease is terminal in order for the TERI programme to be advanced. A field office representative or a claims examiner at the DDS (Disability Determination Services) can send a claim into the TERI programme when a doctor, family member, or friend states that the illness is expected to result in death, or when the claimant is receiving inpatient hospice care or home hospice care. Furthermore, the patient is accepted to the TERI if he or she has claimed for incapacity due to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), often known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, or AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
Which Medical Conditions Qualify for TERI?
The following medical diseases are eligible for TERI treatment; however, this list is not exhaustive; any terminal illness may qualify for TERI fast processing.
- - Cancer that is metastatic, Stage IV, reoccurring after therapy, or inoperable.
- - Cancer of the oesophagus, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, or brain
- - Small cell lung cancer, also known as oat cell lung cancer.
- - Mesothelioma.
- - Acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) or acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) are two types of leukaemia (ALL).
- - Use of a cardiopulmonary life-support device
- - Chronic heart failure or pulmonary failure necessitates the use of oxygen at all times and the aid of caregivers.
- - For at least 30 days, you must be comatose.
- - A infant with a fatal genetic or congenital disease.
- - In need of a transplanted liver, lung, heart, or bone marrow
As with any traditional disability determination, the DDS disability examiner must consult with a disability expert before reaching a TERI determination.
Other Expedited Disability Determination Programmes
Expedited Terminal Illnesses related to the following are automatically included in the DDS programme if you can prove they are severe enough to prevent you from working.
- - cancer of the esophagus.
- - cancer of the liver.
- - cancer of the pancreas.
- - cancer of the gallbladder.
- - mesothelioma (cancer of lung or intestinal lining caused by asbestos)
- - small cell or oat cell lung cancer.
- - cancer of the brain, etc
Some TERI cases may also qualify for expedited treatment under the Presumptive Disability programme for SSI (such as AIDS or ALS or any hospice patient), the Compassionate Allowances programme (many cancers can be expedited under either the TERI or the Compassionate Allowances programmes), or the Quick Disability Determination programme (QDD).