Can I Get Social Security Disability Benefits After A Heart Transplant?

The extent of your heart failure made you a candidate for a heart transplant. After significant physical and psychological evaluations, you were able to get a heart when one became available and you are likely very grateful for the opportunity that it has provided you. However, a heart transplant does not always mean that you will be able to go back to work after surgery.

You May Be Eligible for Social Security Disability

Generally, if you cannot work after a heart transplant surgery, you may be eligible for Social Security disability in one of the following ways:

You may be eligible pursuant to Section 4.09 in the Listing of Impairments (Blue Book). The Social Security Administration considers a heart transplant a qualifying disability for one year from the date of surgery. After one year post-surgery, you will need to qualify for benefits in another way.
You may be eligible pursuant to another section in the Listing of Impairments. If you qualify because of another cardiac condition in Section 4.00 of the Listing of Impairments or any other condition in the listing of impairments, you may recover benefits.
You may be eligible because your condition is equal in severity to another listing in the Listing of Impairments. If your symptoms have the same impact on your life as the symptoms of a condition described in the Blue Book, you may be eligible for benefits.
You may be eligible because you lack the residual capacity to work. If you are unable to work at any job because of the physical limitations of your health condition, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits.

However you may qualify, you will need to present convincing evidence to the Social Security Administration. This will include medical records and other documentation. Our board-certified Social Security disability lawyers can help you submit a complete application and can help get you the benefits for which you qualify as quickly as possible. To learn more, please contact us via this website or by phone at your earliest convenience.