Rainbow at shoreline

The Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association, a 501(c)3 founded in 1985, exists to meet the needs of patients with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) or FM (Fibromyalgia), their families and loved ones. The Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association works to educate health-care providers and the general public regarding these severely-disabling physical illnesses. We also support patients and their families and advocate for more effective treatment and research.

From the Federal Register - U.S. government (eff. July 25, 2012)

Social Security Ruling, SSR 12-2p; Titles II and XVI: Evaluation of Fibromyalgia
  Notice issued by the Commissioner of Social Security on the Ruling (SSR 12-2p) providing guidance for evidence that needs to be met in order to establish that a person has a medically determinable impairment of Fibromyalgia (FM). It also reviews the evaluation of FM in disability claims/continuing disability reviews under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act. Effective date of this ruling: July 25, 2012. 

Notice about names

The Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association would like to clarify the use of the various acronyms for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) and  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) on this site. When we generate our own articles on the illness, we will refer to it as ME/CFS, the term now generally used in the United States. When we are reporting on someone else’s report, we will use the term they use. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal agencies, including the CDC, are currently using ME/CFS. 

Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association changed its name in July, 2018, to reflect this consensus.