A Call for Compassion: How You Can Help Get Multiple Myeloma Added to the Social Security Administration's...

Multiple myeloma (MM) and its treatment impose profound physical, psychosocial, and financial burdens on those living with the disease. Given its predictable and often progressive debility, many individuals with MM are unable to maintain employment and must rely on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) to meet medical and living expenses. Yet, SSDI adjudication is frequently prolonged and unsuccessful on initial application, compounding financial and emotional distress. The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Compassionate Allowances (CAL) initiative was created to expedite disability determinations for debilitating conditions that, by definition, meet eligibility criteria for benefits. While several hematologic malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia and relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma, are included on the CAL, MM remains excluded, despite comparable disease severity, treatment toxicity, and functional impairment. This exclusion reflects a misalignment between clinical evidence, disability policy, and lived patient experience. In this policy- and patient-focused commentary, we examine the clinical and functional burden of MM in the context of CAL eligibility criteria, highlight patient experiences that illustrate the challenges of balancing financial security with illness recovery, and argue that MM clearly meets established standards for CAL inclusion. Finally, we outline actionable steps through which clinicians, patients, caregivers, and the broader public can engage with the SSA to support the addition of MM to the CAL, advancing timely access to essential disability benefits for those in need.