Medical Problems to Include In Your Diabetes Disability Claim
Over 1 million people in Oregon and Washington have diabetes, said the American Diabetes Association. In the entire United States, 34 million adults have it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But a large majority of people with diabetes and other health impairments get denied when they seek Social Security Disability benefits.
For diabetes, one reason for denial of benefits is that many people who have the disease are able to keep working. The most important part of qualifying for disability benefits is that your health problems must stop you from working.
Social Security says you can get disability benefits for diabetes especially if you have other medical conditions that are serious complications of the disease, such as these:
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) that can cause comas
- Diabetic nephropathy that damages kidneys
- Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage) that harms extremities and can require amputation
- Diabetic retinopathy, eye problems and vision loss
- Heart problems that can accompany diabetes
- Hyperglycemia, high blood sugar, that leads to multiple other side effects
- Hypoglycemia, low blood sugar
- Obesity, which is tied to many other health conditions
You’ll need to provide test results, medical records, treatment history and more to show Social Security how the effects of diabetes make it impossible for you to work.
Our Oregon Social Security Disability lawyers can take over much of the work of your disability benefits application, making the process easier for you and helping you on the path toward financial relief.
To get an idea of what your Social Security Disability claim for diabetes will take, you can talk to the Wells, Manning, Eitenmiller & Taylor disability legal team for a free initial evaluation.
Social Security Disability for Diabetes: How to Show You Can’t Work
Because diabetes itself isn’t enough to win disability benefits, another top strategy for getting approved is to document other, even unrelated medical conditions you have, and how all of your health problems combine to force you out of work.
Technically, you don’t have to have any particular disease to get Social Security Disability, but you have to show how any impairments you have, whatever they are, limit your day-to-day functioning.
Social Security has a measure for this, called your “residual functional capacity,” or RFC.
Your RFC looks at these kinds of facts about you:
- How well can you stand and walk
- How much can you lift and carry
- Whether you can sit for extended periods
- Whether you can push, pull, reach, crouch and more
- How well you can focus and follow instructions
- How well you can work with others
Your doctor can complete a form that assesses all of these areas and more. Your disability attorney can help make sure you get the right information from the right medical providers to the evaluators at Social Security.
When you’re struggling with diabetes and your health in general, and your income has stopped, let our disability lawyers help you with the forms, evidence and steps.
So you can get disability benefits, and get to a better situation in your life.
We’re with You Every Step of the Way
Whether you’re trying to determine if you’re qualified for disability benefits, you need help filing your application, or you received a denial notice and want another chance, our law firm helps from the beginning and stays by your side.
Have a Question about Disability Benefits?
Your health is bad. You can’t work. Your financial stability is threatened. So your head is swimming with questions. How will you get by? How does Social Security Disability work? We’ve gathered answers. See them here:
Disability FAQs »
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