If you have a physical condition that impacts your ability to work, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). However, to receive benefits, you must be able to demonstrate that you have a qualifying condition by providing robust medical evidence.
Contact Disability Advocates Group for a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable and experienced disability benefit lawyers. We’ll explain how to seek the benefits you need and can assist you throughout the filing process.
Physical Conditions Eligible for SSDI and SSI
Many physical conditions are eligible for SSDI and SSI benefits, ranging from musculoskeletal disorders to respiratory disorders and neurological disorders. However, for an impairment to qualify, it must affect you or be expected to affect you for at least 12 continuous months or be expected to end in death.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Several types of musculoskeletal disorders, including arthritis, spinal conditions, and soft tissue injuries, can qualify you for benefits. To qualify for benefits, these conditions require objective medical evidence that supports their severity and duration.
Special Senses and Speech
Blindness, deafness, and other conditions affecting the senses can qualify for SSDI and SSI benefits. The Social Security Administration relies on various diagnostic tests to assess the severity of these conditions.
Respiratory Disorders
Conditions that obstruct or restrict the lungs, resulting in difficulty moving air into or out of the body, can significantly impact an individual’s ability to work. Symptoms the Social Security Administration looks for include shortness of breath, coughing up blood, and a rapid rate of breathing.
Cardiovascular System
Cardiovascular system conditions affect the heart and circulatory system, including the veins, arteries, and capillaries. These conditions can cause chronic pain, fatigue, and other adverse symptoms that impact an individual’s daily life.
Digestive Disorders
The digestive disorders that the Social Security Administration evaluates include those that result in severe dysfunction of the liver, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract. These conditions can lead to inflammation and potentially result in organ failure.
Genitourinary Disorders
Genitourinary disorders resulting in chronic kidney disease can qualify for benefits under SSDI or SSI. Examples of qualifying conditions include hypertensive nephropathy, diabetic nephropathy, and chronic obstructive uropathy.
Hematological Disorders
These disorders affect the blood and bone marrow, resulting in the disruption of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Social Security may cover both cancerous and non-cancerous hematological disorders. The best way to prove these conditions is to provide laboratory reports including definitive test results.
Skin Disorders
Several types of skin disorders may qualify you for benefits, including genetic photosensitivity disorders, burns, and other chronic skin conditions such as dermatitis, psoriasis, and bullous disease. It’s essential to have a report from a medical professional who has confirmed your skin condition when seeking benefits.
Endocrine Disorders
These disorders can cause hormonal imbalances, which may impact other parts of the body. The two types of endocrine disorders are hyperfunction, where the body produces too much of a hormone, and hypofunction, where it produces too little.
The evaluation standards for endocrine disorders depend on the part of the body affected.
Congenital Disorders Affecting Multiple Body Systems
Congenital disorders are conditions present from birth, including Down syndrome, which results from an extra copy of chromosome 21. Laboratory tests and physicians’ statements can be used to establish that you or your family member has a congenital disorder qualifying them for benefits.
Neurological Disorders
Epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurological disorders can significantly interfere with an individual’s motor function and communication, depending on their extent and severity.
For these conditions, you must provide both medical and non-medical evidence of your condition’s severity, including your medical history, diagnostic test results, and descriptions of your symptoms.
Cancer
When evaluating whether a cancer qualifies someone for SSDI or SSI benefits, the Social Security Administration considers the cancer’s origin, the duration and response to treatments, and the lasting impact of the cancer and treatments.
Your lawyer can work with your doctors to gather the evidence necessary to establish the impact your cancer has or will have on your life.
Immune System Disorders
Immune system disorders must cause dysfunction in one or more components of your immune system to qualify you for benefits. These disorders may result in recurrent infections or inflammation, causing loss of function in organs.
These conditions include both autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis and celiac disease, or immune deficiency disorders, including severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Low Birth Weight and Failure to Thrive
Specifically for children, having low birthweight or failure to thrive (growth failure) can lead to benefit eligibility. Low birth weight is evaluated from birth to one year of age, while failure to thrive is typically evaluated from birth to three years of age.
If your child suffers from either of these conditions, our lawyers can help you seek the benefits you need to support them.
Required Medical Documentation
Your lawyer can help you gather various types of medical documentation to prove the existence, severity, and extent of your injury. Some of this evidence may include:
- Diagnostic test results showing your level of impairment, including X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans
- Testimony from medical professionals about your condition’s severity
- Testimony from vocational professionals about your condition’s impact on your ability to work
- Medical records detailing the length of time you have been receiving treatment for
- The types and dosages of the prescription medications you take for your condition
- Testimony about how your physical condition impacts your daily life
Contact Our Los Angeles SSDI and SSI Lawyers
If you are seeking SSDI or SSI benefits for a physical disability in Los Angeles, California, contact Disability Advocates Group for a free consultation with one of our experienced disability benefits lawyers. We will help you understand the benefits you qualify for and assist you in obtaining the necessary medical documentation to prove your condition to the Social Security Administration.
