Terminal Illness and Social Security
Social Security has several programs that help claimants with end-stage, terminal illness speed up their claims. Certain conditions may qualify for a compassionate allowance. (Click here for a list of these conditions.)
Additionally, if there is evidence that shows that a claimant has end-stage, terminal illness, an expedited hearing can be requested. These are called "TERI cases." A case may be designated as a TERI case if there is evidence that the claimant:
- Has a diagnosis of terminal illness.
- Has ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease.
- Has AIDS.
- Has been receiving home or inpatient hospice care.
- Has chronic dependence on a cardiopulmonary life-sustaining device.
- Has chronic pulmonary or heart failure, which requires continuous home oxygen and caretaking.
- Is awaiting a heart, heart/lung, liver, or bone marrow transplant.
- Has a malignant cancer that has spread through the body, is at Stage IV, is persistent or recurrent following therapy, or is inoperable to unresectable.
- Has cancer of the esophagus.
- Has liver cancer.
- Has pancreatic cancer.
- Has gallbladder cancer.
- Has Mesothelioma, small cell, or oat cell lung cancer.
- Has brain cancer.
- Has Acute Myelogenous Leukemia or Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.
- Has been comatose for 30 days.
- Is a newborn with a lethal genetic or congenital defect.
Other conditions may also qualify a claimant for TERI status, if the condition is untreatable, and is expected to end in death.
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