Generally, you’re eligible for Medicare when you turn 65 years old. But you can also get Medicare earlier if you’ve been receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for a period of 2 years.

Read on to learn about the Compassionate Allowances (CAL) program, which can help expedite this process if you live with a more severe medical condition and are eligible for SSDI. This means you can reach Medicare eligibility sooner.

The CAL program can help you get disability benefits more quickly by identifying and flagging your application review if you live with certain severe or advanced conditions that the SSA automatically considers disabilities.

Qualifying conditions include certain severe or advanced cancers, genetic syndromes, brain conditions, and other rare diseases. The SSA expanded the eligible conditions in 2024, and a full list of qualifying conditions is available on SSA.gov.

To get approval, you generally have to provide documentation of your disability. If your disability is on the CAL list, the SSA will fast-track the review of your application documents.

The SSA offers two types of disability benefits. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applies if you live with a disability and have limited income and resources, regardless of your employment history.

Meanwhile, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can provide financial support if you live with a disability, have worked in the United States, and paid taxes to Social Security, but are now unable to work due to your disability.

The CAL program can help you get approved faster for either SSI or SSDI. But, if you get approved for SSDI specifically, you can expedite your eligibility for Medicare if you’re younger than age 65.

Keep in mind that while you may be approved faster, you’ll generally still need to wait about 5 months to begin receiving benefits, and then another 24 months before you become eligible for Medicare.

Once you’re approved for disability benefits via the CAL program, you’ll get the same money you’d be entitled to under standard eligibility. In 2025, SSI benefits are $967 a month for an individual or $1,450 for a couple. Meanwhile, SSDI pay varies, with the average being around $1,500.

There’s no specific application for the CAL program. Generally, you can apply for disability benefits online or by visiting your local Social Security Administration (SSA) office. The SSA will follow a process to determine your eligibility. That said, in your application, you can state that your condition is eligible for the CAL program.