Category: Social Security Disability

You ask an important question, because it is important for you to provide the right medical documentation with your Social Security disability application. Otherwise, the Social Security Administration (SSA) could deny your application and you could be left without benefits that you deserve and need now that your physical condition is keeping you from working.

What Information Do You Need?

That depends on your disability. The Social Security Blue Book Listing of Impairmentsdescribes the specific medical documentation that you need to qualify for various conditions.

For example, if you are applying for disability under Section 4.00 Cardiovascular Impairments then you should be prepared to include the detailed reports of the following information with your application:

• Your medical history
• Physical examinations
• Lab work
• Prescribed treatments and your responses to those treatments

Typically, you will need a medical record of at least three months—though more or less may be necessary based on your specific situation. Additionally, you should provide any specific information listed in the section that applies to your cardiovascular disability. Specific test results and treatments may be required based on the cardiovascular condition that you are claiming as a disabling condition.

Other documentation will be necessary if you have a different kind of disability. If you have any questions about what documentation is necessary to help support your disability application then it is important to find out the answer before you submit an application. Failure to provide all the required medical data could result in your application being denied.

You were relieved when you got the news that the Social Security Administration had approved your Social Security disability application. The monthly Social Security disability benefits are important to you and to your family.

Accordingly, you may be concerned when you receive notice from the SSA that your case is going to be reviewed.

Three Reasons You Shouldn’t Panic

Before you let your mind jump to the worst-case scenario or you spend your weekend deciding what assets to sell to maintain your standard of living, it is important to know three things about continuing disability reviews. Specifically, it is important to know that:

• Continuing disability reviews are routine. Most adults have their claims reviewed every three to seven years. However, the SSA can decide to review a case sooner or later.
• Generally, it is easier to be determined disabled during a continuing disability review than during the initial application process. If the SSA determines that you have had no medical improvement then your status will not be changed and you will continue to receive benefits. If the SSA determines that you have had medical improvement then the SSA will consider whether you have improved enough to work.
• You may be able to get benefits if the SSA finds you no longer disabled and you appeal. You may have to fill out specific SSA forms depending on how you decide to pursue an appeal, but you may be able to continue receiving benefits during the appeals process.

You will be notified of a continuing disability review by mail. While it is not something to be feared, it should be something that you take seriously.

Yes, you may qualify for Social Security disability if you have anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. You probably already know more about this condition than you ever wanted to know. You know that anaplastic thyroid carcinoma affects only about 2% of people with thyroid cancer. You know that the typical survival time is measured in months rather than years. You know that you are very sick, that you are unable to work, and that you want to spend as much time with your family and friends as possible.

You Know That You Never Want to Be a Burden

Social Security disability may be an option for you if you can’t work during this very difficult time. Patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma currently meet the requirements for section 13.09A of the Social Security Disability Listing of Impairments. This means that you may qualify for Social Security disability if you:

• Supply a pathology report from a thyroid biopsy specimen that confirms your diagnosis of anaplastic carcinoma
• Fill out a complete and accurate Social Security disability application

You will not automatically qualify for benefits. Thus, the application process is an important one. If you fill the application out accurately and completely, you may be able to recover the benefits that you deserve, the benefits that can make your life more comfortable and help your family during this very difficult time.

To learn more about how to apply for Social Security disability, please review our related links or start a live chat with us today.

Some kinds of government benefits, including some types of Social Security benefits, may depend, in part, on your other assets. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) does not consider your other assets, such as inheritances, when determining eligibility for Social Security disability benefits.

Why?

Social Security disability is not based on financial need. Instead, your Social Security disability application was approved by the SSA because you have a qualifying disability that prevents you from engaging in substantial gainful activity (or earning an income) and you had paid into the Social Security system for the required amount of time. The SSA did not consider your assets when processing your Social Security disability application, and it will not go back and reconsider your eligibility based on your inheritance.

Your loved one left you an inheritance in order to make your life easier and to help you with your financial needs. You have the right to accept that gift without fear that you will lose your Social Security disability benefits.

Have Other Questions About Your Continued Eligibility?

Do not wait until the SSA notifies you of a potential problem to get help. Instead, stay informed about your rights and be confident in your claims. To find out more, take some time to watch our free videos, download a free copy of our important report, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know, or contact us directly via this website to get your individual questions answered.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers an extended period of eligibility that could help you if you have received Social Security disability benefits and then go back to work. During the extended period of eligibility, you may be able to collect your Social Security disability income in a given month if your income is less than the amount that the SSA has established for the substantial gainful activity (SGA). In 2017, the SGA was $1,170 per month for Social Security disability recipients who did not qualify on the basis of blindness. Social Security disability recipients who are blind can earn up to $1,950 month according to the 2017 SGA guidelines.

Do You Qualify?

The extended period of eligibility does not go on forever. Instead, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits pursuant to the extended period of eligibility in any of the 36 consecutive months after your trial work period ends. Benefits are determined on a month-to-month basis depending on whether you were able to earn the SGA in that month.

After the extended period of eligibility (or even during that time), you may be able to apply for expedited reinstatement of your Social Security disability benefits if you meet the requirements outlined by the SSA. An expedited reinstatement of benefits may allow you to start receiving benefits again without filing a new application. Additionally, the SSA can provide you temporary benefits for up to six months while the agency decides on your expedited reinstatement request.

Don’t Be Afraid to Try Going Back to Work

Instead, understand your legal options if, at some point in the future, you are unable to work again due to your disability. To learn more tips about protecting your Social Security disability income, watch our free videos and peruse our extensive library of articles.

It can be frustrating to have a serious brain disorder such as epilepsy and to have your application for Social Security disability benefits denied. Before you decide what to do next, however, it is important to understand why your application was denied and whether you have a good chance of having that decision reversed should you apply for reconsideration or appeal.

Five Things to Consider Before Deciding Whether You Should Appeal

As you decide what to do next, think about whether you provided the Social Security Administration all of the information that it needed to make an accurate determination, such as:

• Complete medical records including your doctor’s diagnosis, a description of your seizures, the results of an EEG, and your treatment history that includes the specific medications that you have taken and the dates that you have taken them.
• Evidence that you have taken the medication as prescribed. This may include blood tests to confirm that you’ve taken the prescription drugs and other information that documents that you took the medication according to your doctor’s instructions and stayed away from alcohol and drugs while on the medication.
• Descriptions of your seizures from third party witnesses who may have seen them.
• Information about your work history.
• Complete biographical information as required on the SSA’s Social Security disability application.

If any of this information was missing or incorrect when you first filed for Social Security disability, you should consider an appeal.

Don’t Appeal Alone

You have the right to work with a Social Security disability lawyer when submitting an initial application or when appealing a denial of benefits. For more information on your rights and on protecting your right to appeal, please read our FREE report, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know or contact us using our live chat to discuss your specific situation.

Disability Determination Services (DDS) is part of the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services. While you did not file your Social Security disability claim with DDS, it may play a significant role in the outcome of your Social Security disability claim.

Here’s Why

DDS is a state office, but it is funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Texas office is charged with making determinations about Social Security disability claims for Texans who make such claims with the SSA. DDS receives Social Security disability applications that individuals file with the SSA, assesses the disability claims, and approves or denies the claims. Once DDS has made a decision, the office returns the applications to the SSA, which makes the final decision regarding disability.

What This Means to You

It is important to understand who is involved in deciding your Social Security disability claim. However, this information does not change how you apply for benefits; you should still submit your application directly to the Social Security Administration. If you have questions about the status of your claim, you or your attorney may need to contact DDS during the review process.

The process is the same for all Texans, whether you live in Fort Worth, North Richard Hills, or another city or town in the state. If you have any questions about this process or need help with the Social Security disability claims process, please fill out our online contact form or start an online chat with us today.

The Blue Book contains a list of impairments and the accompanying criteria that the Social Security Administration (SSA) uses to determine whether an applicant is disabled for the purposes of obtaining Social Security disability benefits. While many diseases, illnesses, and injuries are included in the Blue Book, the SSA recognizes that it would be impossible to include every potentially disabling illness or condition. Therefore, you may be able to obtain Social Security disability benefits even if your medical condition or injury is not specifically listed in the Blue Book.

When Your Condition Isn’t Listed

If your condition is not included in the Blue Book, you need to make sure that you can convince the SSA that you meet the Social Security disability eligibility criteria. In other words, you need to establish the following:

• You have a medical condition or illness that has been diagnosed by a doctor and that is expected to last for more than one year or result in your death.
• Your medical condition or illness prevents you from doing work of any kind.
• You have paid into the Social Security system and are now eligible for Social Security disability benefits.

You don’t have to do this alone. Instead, you have the right to work with a Social Security disability lawyer to get the benefits that you deserve if you suffer from a disabling condition in Duncanville, Cedar Hill, or elsewhere in the Dallas or Houston area. To learn more, please complete our online contact form or call us directly to schedule a free consultation.

The answer is maybe. Your eligibility will depend on how your heart attack has impacted your life, whether you have medical clearance to work, and whether your disability and inability to work is considered long term or permanent.

Proving That You Are Eligible

In order to establish that you are eligible for Social Security disability benefits, you must prove to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that:

• You have a medical condition that is expected to last one year or more or to result in death
• The medical condition prevents you from working
• You have satisfied the earnings requirement to obtain Social Security disability benefit payments

If you fail to prove one or more of the elements described above, you should expect the SSA to deny your Social Security disability claim. Then, you will need to determine whether your claim was denied because you are ineligible for benefits or whether your application contained an error. If you are eligible for benefits, but your application didn’t contain enough information to convince the SSA that you are unable to work, you may be a good candidate to successfully appeal the decision.

It Could Be Worth the Fight

It isn’t easy to establish your eligibility for Social Security disability benefits. The SSA denies approximately two out of every three new applicants. However, if you believe that you are eligible for Social Security disability because of your heart condition, it is worth fighting for your fair benefits.

To learn more about how to do that, please read our FREE Social Security Disability Fact Sheet or start a live chat with us at any time.

No. It is, quite simply, not your doctor’s job to apply for Social Security disability benefits on your behalf—even if he has determined that you are disabled. Social Security disability applications are complicated, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) requires that each application be completed in full and with no errors. It is not as simple as a doctor saying that you have a spinal cord injury and are being treated in Fort Worth or you have cancer and are being treated at Texas Medical Center in Houston.

Just Because the Doctor Can’t Do it For You Doesn’t Mean You Have to Do It Alone

If you are thinking about filing a Social Security disability claim, you are completely disabled, you are unable to work, and you may be facing your own mortality. The last thing that you want to do is to spend your time navigating the application process. Fortunately, you do not have to do this on your own. You have the right to consult with and hire a Social Security disability lawyer who has experience filing successful Social Security disability claims. Your attorney can submit the application for you, making sure that the SSA has all of the information that it needs to make a timely determination about your claim, while you concentrate on your health.

Want to Know More About Your Rights?

Please read our FREE report, Social Security Disability: What You Need to Know, and start a free, online chat with us to get your specific questions answered.