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Recent Blog Posts
The Possible Effects of Medical Opinions on a Social Security Disability Case
People who experience serious injuries or illnesses may rely on government aid to meet their needs. Social Security disability benefits may be available to a person who has suffered from a disabling health condition that has affected them for at least one year or is expected to last for 12 months or more. To demonstrate that they qualify for disability benefits, a person will need to provide medical evidence, and in some cases, Social Security may also require them to be examined by an independent medical professional. In some cases, these professionals may come to different conclusions, and applicants should understand how Social Security will consider opinions from different sources.
How Social Security Weighs Medical Opinions
Social Security may look at reports provided by multiple different types of medical professionals. A professional must be considered an acceptable medical source, meaning that they can provide reports that are relevant to a person’s disabling health conditions. These sources may include medical or osteopathic physicians, licensed psychologists who can assess a person’s mental health issues, optometrists who can address visual impairments, podiatrists who can assess disorders affecting the feet or ankles, speech-language pathologists who can address language disorders and related impairments, audiologists who can assess hearing loss, physician assistants who can assess impairments within their licensed scope of practice, and licensed advance practices registered nurses (including nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists).
My Spouse Had a Stroke. Are We Eligible for Social Security Benefits?
A stroke can have a serious impact on your quality of life and ability to hold down a job. During a stroke, blood flow to your brain is disturbed either through a lack of blood flow, known as an ischemic stroke or by a leakage of blood, known as a hemorrhage. Depending on the section of the brain that is impacted, you may suffer from mobility issues, impaired vision, and slurred speech. Given the potentially life-altering impact of a stroke, victims are eligible for Social Security disability benefits.
Qualifying Factors for Benefits After a Stroke
If a stroke prevents you or your spouse from working for at least 12 months, you can file a claim for Social Security disability benefits. In the Neurological Impairment section of the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book, there are three ways you can qualify for benefits.
Can I Receive Social Security Disability Payments for My Respiratory Disorder?
Trouble breathing can seriously affect your ability to gain or retain gainful employment. The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers a number of respiratory disorders severe enough to qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. Based on the severity of your respiratory condition, how long you have had it, how long it is expected to last, and your response to treatments, you could be entitled to SSD benefits.
Understanding Respiratory Disorders
Respiratory disorders are categorized as those which make it difficult for air to move out of the lungs (obstruction), challenging for air to move into the lungs (restriction), or interfere with gas exchange in the lungs (diffusion). These include some very common breathing disorders and some which are rarer. They can either impact you for your entire life or have a later onset.
Examples of respiratory disorders include:
How Does Residual Functional Capacity Affect an SSD Claim?
A serious illness or injury can affect a person in many ways, and the issues related to a person’s condition may make it difficult or impossible to maintain employment and earn enough income to meet their ongoing needs. Those who have experienced major health issues that have lasted or will last for at least one year may be able to receive disability benefits through Social Security. When applying for Social Security disability, a variety of factors will be considered to determine whether a person’s condition meets the qualifications to be considered a total disability. Residual functional capacity (RFC) is one issue that can play an important role during these considerations.
What Is Residual Functional Capacity?
Social Security uses a five-step process to determine whether a person is eligible for disability benefits. After looking at whether a person is currently working and the severity of their condition, Social Security will evaluate the person’s ability to perform work they had done in the past or other types of work. The maximum amount of work a person can perform based on their limitations is known as their residual functional capacity.
Can People With “Long Covid” Receive Social Security Disability?
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great deal of difficulty for nearly everyone in the United States. Around 79 million people in the U.S. have been infected with the virus, and around 950,000 have died. Unfortunately, many people who have recovered from infections are continuing to experience serious symptoms that affect their daily lives. These issues are common enough that they have become known as “long Covid,” and those who suffer from serious symptoms often struggle to maintain employment and complete other daily tasks. While conditions that are serious enough to prevent a person from working may qualify them for disability benefits from Social Security, many have had trouble receiving these benefits.
Problems With Social Security Disability Claims for Covid Long Haulers
Covid infections can have a number of long-term effects. Those who became seriously ill, were placed on ventilators, and experienced issues such as organ failure or bleeding in the brain have often been able to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. However, others who experienced less severe symptoms following an infection have had trouble demonstrating that they meet the requirements for total disability.
What Back and Spine Disorders Qualify for Social Security Disability?
There are a variety of physical issues that can result in a person suffering pain and discomfort, affecting their ability to perform daily tasks and maintain employment. Injuries or disorders that affect the back and spine can be especially difficult to cope with, and they may lead to chronic pain, limitations on the types of movements a person can perform, or even paralysis in certain parts of the body. In some cases, back and spine disorders may be so severe that they prevent a person from working and completing other daily tasks that will allow them to care for themselves and address their ongoing needs. Those who suffer from these conditions may be able to receive disability benefits through Social Security, and they will need to understand the requirements they will need to meet to qualify for financial assistance.
How Can I Appeal the Denial of Social Security Disability Benefits?
If you have experienced a serious illness or injury that has affected your ability to earn an income, you will want to determine your options for receiving financial assistance. If your injury or illness is severe enough to be considered a total disability, meaning that it has lasted or will last for at least one year and has affected your ability to earn enough income to support yourself, you may be able to receive Social Security disability benefits. Applying for these types of benefits can be a complicated process, and in many cases, disability claims may be denied. However, the denial of benefits does not mean that receiving financial assistance is impossible, and applicants may be able to pursue an appeal that will help them receive the benefits they deserve.
The Social Security Disability Appeals Process
UPDATE: A Rare Disabling Condition: Hypogammaglobulinemia
Originally published: September 13, 2011 -- Updated: December 6, 2021
UPDATE: Below, we look at the requirements that a person will need to meet to demonstrate that symptoms related to hypogammaglobulinemia fall into a category that Social Security considers to be a disabling medical condition. However, it is important to understand that even if a person does not meet the specific criteria detailed in Social Security’s Listing of Impairments, they may still be able to qualify for disability benefits by providing evidence of total disability.
Social Security uses a five-step process to evaluate a disability claim, and the third step in this process involves determining whether a person’s condition is included in the Listing of Impairments or is equivalent to a condition in this listing. If a person’s condition does not meet the criteria in the Listing of Impairments, the fourth step of the evaluation process will look at whether a person can perform work they have done in the past, and the fifth step will look at whether they can perform other types of work that would allow them to maintain enough income to support themselves.
How Can I Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits?
Injuries, illnesses, and other health issues can affect people in many different ways. While some people can continue working and supporting themselves while dealing with these issues, others may experience disabilities that make it impossible to earn sufficient income. For those who are unable to work, Social Security disability benefits can provide assistance and ensure that they will have the financial resources to provide for their ongoing needs. By understanding how Social Security determines whether a person is disabled, those who plan to apply for disability benefits can make sure they will be eligible for financial assistance.
Eligibility for Disability Benefits
Social Security will only provide benefits in cases where a person has a total disability, and it will not address partial disabilities or short-term disabilities. A condition will only be considered a disability if it has already lasted for at least 12 months, if it is expected to affect a person for one year or more, or if it is expected to result in death. To qualify as a total disability, a condition must cause a person to be unable to do work that they had done previously, and a person must be unable to adjust to other forms of work.
When Can a Person With Heart Disease Receive Social Security Disability?
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.
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