SSA has revised the listing for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (text and pdf):
“For the reasons we explain below, we are revising listing 11.10, our listing for ALS, in our neurological body system listings. The new listing provides that we will find you disabled if you have medical evidence that shows that you have ALS. Because of this change, we are also making two additional changes:
- We are adding a new section 11.00G to the introductory material to the neurological listings to provide information about ALS and the evidence we need so that we can evaluate ALS under the new listing.
- We are amending Sec. 416.934 of our regulations to include ALS on the list of “specific impairment categories” our field offices and State agencies use to make findings of presumptive disability under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. This change will allow us to make findings of presumptive disability in claims involving allegations of ALS, without obtaining any medical evidence.”
With this change, many claimants will be able to qualify for Medicare sooner, especially in light of the elimination in 2000 of the 24 month waiting period for Medicare eligibility.
