Today marks the National Organization for Rare Disorders’ (NORD) Rare Disease Day. The day, aimed at raising awareness, is celebrated on the last day of February each year.
According to the organization, the objective of the day is to raise attentiveness in the public and decision-making about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives. Since the day was announced in 2008, more than 1,000 events have taken place across the world to generate interest in rare disorders.
The organization defines a rare disorder as one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans at any given time. It says that of these, 80 percent are rare diseases that have been identified as genetic in origin, while the others are the result of “infections (bacterial or viral), allergies and environmental causes, or are degenerative and proliferative.”
Fifty percent of the rare disorders characterized by NORD affect children. “Relatively common symptoms can hide underlying rare diseases leading to misdiagnosis and delaying treatment,” NORD said. “Quintessentially disabling, the patient’s quality of life is affected by the lack or loss of autonomy due to the chronic, progressive, degenerative and frequently life-threatening aspects of the disease.”
I Have a Rare Disorder or Disease. Do I Need a Tulsa Social Security Disability Attorney?
If you have a rare disorder, it is very possible that you could qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). People who qualify for SSDI can receive an expedited application process if their disorder or disability falls on the Compassionate Allowances list, which allows people to get benefit decisions in as little as 20 days.
Currently, about 200,000 Americans have received benefits through the Compassionate Allowances program.
If you have questions about an SSDI application, visit our Social Security FAQ page. You can also contact our Tulsa Social Security Disability lawyers for a free evaluation of your case. You may also reach us by phone at (918) 265-1404.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security Disability attorneys
Source: http://www.rarediseaseday.org/article/what-is-rare-disease-day
