Public Comment from NY & NJ DDS

The following concerns were presented: • Although it is true that newer treatments for endocrine disorders have resulted in better management of these conditions, not all claimants have access to current/effective medical treatment. For example access to devices such as insulin pumps depends on wealth or availability of medical insurance. • New listing 109.08 – This states that SSA will consider a “child under disability if he/she has any type of diabetes mellitus who requires daily insulin and has not attained age 6”. The age of 6 seems very arbitrary. The developmental abilities of children vary greatly and we cannot presume that simply because a child has attained age 6 that the child will not have the same medical need for adult help as younger children. • Components mostly agree with the elimination of some of the subsections of the endocrine listings. For example, the listing 9.08C (diabetes with retinitis proliferans) may easily be evaluated under the Special Senses listings for visual disorders. However other listings under the Endocrine system, such diabetes insipidus (current listing 9.05) are more complex and perhaps the listing provision should not be eliminated.