Social Security Disability Insurance and Heart Disease

Social Security Disability Insurance and Heart Disease

People who suffer from severe heart conditions often find it hard to maintain regular work schedules. If an individual is unable to work full-time because they have a serious heart ailment, then they may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. Some of the conditions that automatically qualify an applicant are coronary artery disease, recurrent arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, and heart transplants.

Heart Disease Testing And Social Security Disability

To establish the severity of a case, all applicants must undergo testing. If the results indicate cardiac impairment, the case approval will be given without difficulty. People who have suffered heart attacks or received stents are not considered impaired and their applications are analyzed on a case-by-case basis.

While this list is not exhausting, it explains some of the other conditions that are considered severe to the point of impairment;

Chronic Venous Insufficiency – in this case, the heart muscle is weak and cannot pump blood from the legs upwards and back to the heart. This condition results in swelling in the legs, the formation of painful ulcers and difficulty standing. If the ulcers do not heal within a period of 3 months, the condition is considered severe.

Ischemic Heart Disease – this condition usually precedes a heart attack and is indicative of poor oxygen supply in the body as a result of poor artery function. The condition is diagnosed by performing an angiography or poor stress test.

Hypertensive Heart Disease or high blood pressure – this is a rather common condition of the circulatory system and only the severe cases are approved for Social Security Disability. To qualify, the applicant must meet the same requirements needed for approval for chronic heart failure or ischemic heart disease.

The Criteria for Qualification of Social Security Disability Benefits

The criteria for qualification of Social Security Disability benefits due to heart disease are rather strict. Some conditions do not meet all the laid down requirements but they get approval if the Social Security administration is convinced that a heart problem makes it impossible to work. Apart from working in your main job industry, it is important to also prove that training for alternative job skills has been unsuccessful due to the condition.

Before filing an application for Social Security Disability benefits based on a heart problem, the opinion of two very important professionals must be considered. A doctor will substantiate the medical claims and explain the effects of any corrective therapy that has been attempted while an attorney will offer advice on the chances of approval for a case as well as offer guidance if there was to be an appeal.