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.