The long and short answer to this question is a resounding yes, and every time the Administration updated their regulations on Sickle Cell requirements it gets worse. A recent article by Bo Erickson for CBS news is quoted as saying “Thousands of Black children with sickle cell disease struggle to access disability payments[1].” This comes as a result of the regulatory updates to the Sickle Cell listings that occurred in 2015. The requirements for children to meet the Listing 107.05 under Hemolytic anemias, including sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and their variants are as follows:

Must have a documented painful (vaso-occlusive) crises requiring parenteral (intravenous or intramuscular) narcotic medication, occurring at least six times within a 12-month period with at least 30 days between crises.  OR

Complications of hemolytic anemia requiring at least three hospitalizations within a 12-month period and occurring at least 30 days apart. Each hospitalization must last at least 48 hours, which can include hours in a hospital emergency department or comprehensive sickle cell disease center immediately before the hospitalization (see 107.00C2).  OR

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