When Can a Person With Heart Disease Receive Social Security Disability?

 Posted on October 12, 2021 in Social Security Disability Medical Conditions

There are many different medical conditions that can affect a person’s health, their ability to work, and their overall quality of life. If a condition is serious enough that it prevents a person from maintaining gainful employment, they may apply for Social Security disability benefits that will provide them with assistance to ensure that they will be able to meet their ongoing needs. People with heart disease may qualify for benefits, but they will need to be sure to provide evidence showing that their condition is severe enough to be considered a disability. By working with an attorney during the process of applying for benefits or appealing the denial of a disability claim, a person can take the correct steps to receive the benefits they need.

Social Security’s Listings for Heart Disease

The Social Security Administration uses a Listing of Impairments to classify different health conditions as disabilities. If a condition meets the requirements of a specific listing, a person will qualify for disability benefits. However, even if a condition is not included in the Listing of Impairments or if a person does not meet the eligibility requirements for a certain condition, they may still be able to receive disability benefits if they can show that the condition has prevented them from participating in work they had done in the past and that they are unable to find other forms of gainful employment due to their medical limitations.

The Listing of Impairments addresses multiple forms of heart disease, including:

• Chronic heart failure - A person must have medically documented evidence of diastolic or systolic failure. They must also have persistent symptoms that limit their daily activities, three or more episodes within one year in which they experienced acute congestive heart failure that required hospitalization or emergency room treatment, or are unable to perform an exercise tolerance test that is equivalent to five METs.

• Ischemic heart disease - Narrowed or obstructed coronary arteries may limit the flow of blood to the heart and lead to heart attacks. These issues may result in disability based on the results of exercise tolerance tests or angiographic tests that show that coronary arteries have narrowed. Three separate ischemic episodes within one year that require angioplasty or bypass surgery will also qualify a person for disability benefits.

• Heart transplant - A person will be considered disabled for one year after heart replacement surgery. The conditions that led to the need for a heart transplant may also qualify as a disability.

• Arrhythmias - If a person has an irregular heartbeat that is not controlled by medication, a pacemaker, or other methods, their condition may qualify as a disability if it results in recurrent episodes of syncope or near syncope, which involve light-headedness, dizziness, or loss of consciousness due to low blood pressure.

Contact Our Illinois SSD Benefits Attorney for Heart Disease

If you have a heart condition that affects your ability to work, Attorney Jonathan Pearson can help you apply for Social Security disability or address any issues that may affect your ability to receive benefits. He will work with you to provide the required evidence to show that you are disabled, and he will make sure you take the correct steps to address any issues that may affect the benefits you will be able to receive. Contact our Chicago Social Security disability lawyer at 312-999-0999 and arrange your free consultation today.

Source:

https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/4.00-Cardiovascular-Adult.htm