Types of Transplants That Qualify for Social Security Disability

Millions of individuals across the globe are dreading with the anticipation of an extremely important opportunity; the chance to live. Due to severe injuries and diseases, critical damage to vital organs in the human body forces people to need a transplant to continue living. 1 Organ donor has the ability to save the lives of up to 50 people with their donation.

Due to the number of people needing an organ drastically exceeding the number of viable donor organs available, most transplant centers have a waiting list. Sadly, this waitlist is extensive, and as a result, some people wait years with crippling disabilities and life-threatening conditions. When someone is given a new organ, it genuinely is the start of a new life for these patients. An organ transplant is extremely taxing for the body, which goes farther than just the surgery. The body’s immune system’s primary function is to recognize and reject foreign substances that invade the body, a defense against germs, diseases, and practically any threat to your livelihood. Unfortunately, if this response is activated after an organ transplant, the results could be life-threatening as the body needs this new organ to function properly. Organ donors are closely evaluated to determine a potential match with recipients to reduce the chance of organ rejection. Even if the organ donor and recipient have the same blood type and share other factors, the body could still reject the new organ. If this occurs, the person will be given drugs to suppress their immune system for the rest of their lives, making them highly susceptible to infections, which may be life-threatening.

When someone undergoes surgery for an organ transplant, it may take months and sometimes years before recovery is completed, as the body needs to adjust to the new organ and time to determine of their previous life-threatening condition improves. The Social Security Administration helps those receiving an organ since they cannot complete normal activities and keep their jobs. The following organ transplants are recognized by the SSA in the manual of impairments or Blue Book as a condition that automatically qualifies someone for disability for at least 12 months after the date of the surgery:

  • Heart transplant
  • Lung transplant
  • Kidney transplant
  • Liver transplant
  • Bone marrow/stem cell transplant

Recipients of an organ transplant qualify for SSDI benefits for the 12 months after they receive their new organ. Once 12 months are up, their case will be evaluated, and the SSA will determine if their condition still meets the criteria of disabled. Organ transplants are a major life moment for millions of people who face the end of their lives without it.

Even though undergoing an organ transplant certainly qualifies you for SSDI benefits, it never hurts to speak with an experienced Social Security Disability attorney to make sure your medical records and other accompanying documents accurately reflect your disabling condition.

Qualifying for Social Security Disability from Peripheral Artery Disease

Social Security Disability for Peripheral Artery Disease

If your recently diagnosed peripheral arterial disease is preventing you from completing the necessary tasks of your job, you could qualify to receive Social Security disability benefits. PAD is a medical condition that causes narrowing of the arteries of the extremities, typically the legs. As a result, victims have limited blood flow to the tissues around the affected area.

The heart is responsible for pumping blood to the tissues in the body which contains the necessary nutrients and oxygen, but PAD prevents this from functioning properly. The arteries are too narrow, so blood is unable to reach the extremities at a sufficient volume. The decreased blood flow is exacerbated by exercise and motion due to the increased strain causing muscles and tissues to require more oxygen to complete a task.

The muscles do not receive sufficient oxygen if there is constricted blood flow in an artery. The most common symptom that PAD sufferers experience is pain in the extremities, specifically the calves, known as intermittent claudication. It can differ in severity from mild to excruciating. Rest often reduces the pain.

Local numbness, weakness, one extremities being colder than the other, chronic sores, and a weak or absent pulse in the leg are all common symptoms sufferers experience.  Some symptoms could also be signs of an oncoming heart attack or stroke, in which case require emergency medical assistance. There is also the possibility of limb amputation being necessary due to ischemia or absence of blood flow.

The Cost of Treating PAD

Peripheral Arterial Disease is a severe, chronic disorder. The National Centers for Biotechnology Information estimates the average person diagnosed with PAD collects medical expenses that vary from $2,000 to $20,000 during their lifetime. Naturally, if they underwent amputation or experienced a stroke from PAD, their bills are substantially higher.

Those with insurance pay copays and coinsurance that range from 5 percent to 50 percent of the total medical bills. Those without insurance can expect to pay more. It is a prevalent disease that creates seriously problematic health issues to those diagnosed with the condition.

Getting Medical Approval for Disability

The Social Security Administration acknowledges Peripheral Artery Disease as a disabling condition under certain situations. The SSA follows procedures from a medical guide to evaluate your disability. This is known as the Blue Book, which lists PAD under the cardiovascular system due to it being a cardiovascular condition.  The SSA requires serious disability or impairment preventing you from completing any form of work even despite receiving disease treatment. The exact requirements for those with PAD are listed in Section 4.0, Cardiovascular – Adult.

You need to prove that you have been accurately diagnosed with PAD by a licensed medical professional. There also needs to be evidence of concurrent treatment for the disease, not just diagnosis. Evidence of your response to treatments is also necessary. You need to have undergone at least 3 months of recorded treatment before applying for disability.

Typically, the SSA needs more extended treatment to see if you are going to respond to before your claim is reviewed. If your PAD is not stable, or if you have changed treatments without recorded results, you could be seeing a waiting period before SSA looks at your case.

To qualify for disability benefits with PAD, you need to have imaging documentation from a Doppler or angiography, suffer pain in the legs, and have one of the following:

  • A resting ABI of less than 0.5.
  • A 50% decrease in systolic blood pressure at the ankles with exercise that needs at least 10 minutes or longer for recovery.
  • A resting toe systolic blood pressure of less than 30 mm HG.
  • Resting toe or brachial index of less than 0.4

Gaining Disability Benefits Using an RFC

RFC stands for residual functional capacity; it’s a form that your doctor fills out which can help increase your likelihood of approval for disability benefits if you do not meet the conditions listed in the Blue Book. The form should be filled completely listing any limitations or restrictions that your condition has caused. This would look like a note stating you need to be repositioned every 45 minutes due to the reduced blood flow and accompanying leg cramps, which will prevent you from completing necessary work tasks.

You could suffer from blood clots in your extremities due to PAD, which will prevent you from long periods of sitting due to the raised likeliness of another thrombosis event. If PAD forces you to elevate your legs and feet often to alleviate excruciating pain, that needs to be obviously noted. It should also state how much weight you’re able to lift, if you cannot bend, and how PAD affects your mobility, such as the requirement of crutches to walk or inability to walk long distances.

An RFC is considered as a component of the medical-vocational allowance, which takes into account your job history, transferable skills, education, and age. If your condition prevents you from returning to your occupation, Disability Determination Services will look to see if you are able to complete other work such as occupations that have fewer duties like a sedentary job. Once you’ve been determined to be unable to work at all full-time, you will be approved to receive monthly disability benefits.

Applying for Disability Benefits

The Social Security disability benefits process is complex and simply frustrating. The SSA needs detailed medical documentation, accurate tests reflecting your blood pressure in your extremities, advanced scans proving the accuracy of your diagnosis of PAD, records that depict how PAD affects your mobility and pain experience, in addition to documented responses of treatment. You could potentially be denied several times and need to file appeals. The last step in that situation would be a hearing with an administrative law judge.

You may start the process online at www.ssa.gov, over the phone at 1-800-772-1213 or in person at your nearest Social Security office. A disability attorney can significantly increase your chances of being approved for benefits.

Keep a Journal to Strengthen Your Social Security Disability Application

If you’re planning on submitting an application for Social Security Disability benefits, one thing that could significantly increase your chances of being approved is maintaining a detailed journal of the severity of your disability and how it affects your ability to complete everyday tasks. You’ll discover that most professional Social Security disability attorneys agree that maintaining a detailed journal that addresses your illnesses or pain experienced on a day to day basis is one of the best ways to strengthen your claim.

When writing in your journal make sure to add all the tasks and activities that your disability prevents you from completing. Definitely always include the time and date of any accidents related to your disability. This could include the instance of a seizure, headache, or a period of crippling body pain. Document the duration of these occurrences and determine what situations cause these periods of pain, in addition to any medications that help reduce the symptoms. Write down all the medications you’re taking and note whether they produce any adverse side effects. Narrowing down the specific body parts that are affected by pain in addition to including the severity of the pain may also help show the amount of pain you’re experiencing.

Possessing enough information about your disability will help strengthen your case if a judge is required to decide whether you should receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Be aware that saying you’re in pain will not suffice. You must descriptively write down anything you’re experiencing as a result of your disability. Make sure to be extremely detailed in your journal without appearing as if you’re exaggerating.

Describing pain is extremely difficult since other people are unable to feel what you’re experiencing, making it subjective. This is why a judge cannot simply award you SSDI or SSI benefits just because you say you’re in pain; you have to provide sufficient details to help depict your pain severity.

These journals are extremely beneficial, especially for conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, chronic pain, and anxiety. A potential method to be approved for SSDI or SSI benefits is to prove to the judge that you’re unable to work due to your condition. Explain in your journal descriptively how your disability prevents you from working. If the judge recognizes that you cannot work due to your disability, he or she will be more likely to decide in your favor. Maintaining a journal is definitely helpful if you want a favorable ruling.

Effectively describing and explaining your disabling condition will be the key to success in your disability claim. This is because it will aid the judge in deciding whether or not you should be awarded SSDI or SSI benefits in addition to assisting doctors, caseworkers, and anyone assigned to your cause to entirely grasp what you’re struggling with on a day to day basis. Your pain is preventing you from functioning properly; you need to effectively depict this if you wish to receive a ruling in your favor, the success of your Social Security disability claim depends on it.

You do not need to integrate complicated formal writing styles into your journal. Instead, maintain a simple but illustrative writing pattern that depicts your daily experiences with feelings, pain and the effect your condition has on a day to day basis. Cautiously decide which words to use especially when writing about your feelings. By supplying a greater perspective into your disabling condition, you can significantly raise your chances of a successful Social Security disability claim.