Does My Heart Condition Qualify Me for SSD Benefits?
The American Heart Institute projects that by 2035 more than 130 million adults or 45.1% of the U.S. population will have some form of cardiovascular disease.
The term “cardiovascular disease” encompasses many heart conditions. These are a few of the most common:
- Cardiac or aortic aneurysm: A bulge forms in the aorta, the large artery that carries blood from the heart through the body. If the budge splits or ruptures, that can cause death.
- Arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries: The arteries—blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body—can become thick and stiff, restricting blood flow to the organs and tissues.
- Congestive heart failure: A weakened heart condition that causes fluid buildup in the feet, arms, lungs, and other organs.
- Coronary heart disease: When cholesterol deposits (plaque) and inflammation restrict the major blood vessels that supply the heart with blood, oxygen, and nutrients.
To qualify for disability benefits for heart disease, you must meet Social Security’s basic eligibility criteria for any condition:
- You can’t work or engage in what Social Security calls “substantial gainful activity” because of your medical condition.
- That includes being unable to do previous work or adjust to new work.
- Your condition has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or it will eventually be fatal.
Beyond that, you must qualify for benefits for your specific condition(s). Social Security has an official “Listing of Impairments” that contains a section on conditions of the cardiovascular system in adults. It explains the qualifying criteria for each type of heart disease.
If you’re wondering whether your heart condition qualifies you for disability benefits, talk to the Oregon disability lawyers at Wells, Manning, Eitenmiller & Taylor for an initial conversation about your claim at no cost to you.
We can help you get started with reclaiming your life.
How to Prove Your Social Security Disability Claim for Heart Disease
Even when you know your heart condition is serious—even if you’ve been hospitalized for it before—you still have to prove the severity of your condition to Social Security.
They require evidence including results from tests like angiograms, echocardiography, and electrocardiography that measure the severity of the heart disease.
If you don’t meet the Social Security “listing” for your condition, you may still qualify for disability benefits if you can show that you are significantly impaired based on an assessment of your “Residual Functional Capacity” or RFC:
- This assessment is based primarily on medical evidence.
- It might include observation or description of your health limitations.
- It will describe what activities you’re still able to do.
Social Security has its own language (residual functional capacity, substantial gainful activity, etc.), but an experienced Social Security Disability attorney understands what it all means—and what you need to win benefits that can improve your financial stability and your life.
If you’re in Oregon and heart disease has sidelined you from your livelihood, our disability lawyers are here to help.
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:
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