SSD 101: What Conditions Automatically Qualify You for Disability?
The Social Security disability program has helped millions of Americans receive benefits and other important resources for over 60 years.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) continues to help people with medical conditions receive insurance or supplemental income, but with mixed results.
How does the SSA decide who can get disability insurance? If you have a medical condition backed by clinical supports, you’re already in the running. You just need your social security login and some advice from legal professionals who know SSD inside and out.
Below are the top need-to-know tips on what qualifies you for SSD.
Things to Know Before Applying for SSD
To utilize Social Security Disability (SSD) and get disability insurance, you must first meet certain qualifications. You can view these at social ssa.gov/myaccount.
The SSA lists the most common (or straightforward) impairments. These may be easy to diagnose or have clear symptoms. They may also be progressive—or at least impairments with long-term effects.
If you have one of the impairments on the SSA’s listing, you automatically qualify for SSD. We’ll talk about a few key impairments below and why they automatically qualify.
Lastly, make sure you have our SSD application checklist on hand while preparing your claim. We can help you include any and all relevant details that further your case.
Musculoskeletal Problems
The latest research shows that Americans alone spend half a billion on back pain every year. Fibromyalgia and degenerative disc disease can wreak havoc on your bones and joints.
Problems affecting the joints, muscles, and/or bones may qualify without question. Musculoskeletal issues like rheumatoid arthritis or a herniated disk can cause permanent pain or aggravation. Your doctor can help identify the source of your pain before applying for SSD.
Respiratory Illnesses
Some respiratory problems are caused by an infection. Others may stem from the ongoing use of tobacco or inhalation of air pollution. Regardless of where your respiratory problems stem from, they may enough to receive disability insurance.
Asthma is one of the top respiratory illnesses reported to the SSA. People who have complications from chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, or pneumonia may also automatically qualify for SSD.
Blood Disorders
Blood cancers such as lymphoma, myeloma, and leukemia may be treated differently, but any disease affecting white blood cells, platelets, or red blood cells will likely get you on disability.
The important distinction that affects qualification is the severity of the disease. You may qualify for a less severe disease if you have an official prognosis.
Other blood disorders that may qualify automatically are anemia and hemophilia. You can find more blood disorders that may be relevant here.
Immune Disorders
Immune disorders like HIV/AIDS and rheumatoid arthritis are guaranteed to qualify you for SSD. You can also use SSD for lupus, kidney disease, and other immune disorders.
If your immune disorder requires ongoing, expensive treatments, you won’t struggle to determine eligibility. You can always create a ssa.gov login and submit any information used to determine your impairment.
Cardiovascular Conditions
Cardiovascular conditions are ongoing issues that affect your heart’s daily functions. Symptoms are typically easy to identify, especially for those with a history of heart problems.
Chronic heart failure is a shoo-in for getting disability insurance. Coronary artery disease also qualifies automatically for SSD.
Neurological Disorders
Neurological disorders are diseases of the brain or anything directly connected to the brain. Many people are surprised to know that there are hundreds of neurological diseases.
Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy are the first disorders that come to mind- these both qualify for SSD. Frontotemporal dementia is an increasingly common reason people apply for disability insurance nowadays. Brain tumors also may automatically qualify you for SSD.
Sense and Speech Issues
There are quite a few disabilities relating to the senses and speech. Vision and hearing loss are two sense issues that qualify for SSD benefits. Standard hearing tests and word recognition tests can help you show the level of loss you’ve experienced.
If you are unable to speak, your speech loss likely qualifies within the Blue Book guidelines. The SSA may want to know whether the cause is neurological or physical. If equipment can help you function at a job, you may not qualify for SSD.
Mental Disorders
While some mental disorders are still tricky to identify or diagnose, they are becoming a more common inclusion on the SSA’s Listing of Impairments. Autism is one of the most common mental disorders that qualify for benefits.
Other disorders that may qualify include depression, anxiety, and intellectual disabilities like dyslexia. Some problems, like ADHD, may be harder to confirm even with a diagnosis. Fortunately, brain scans can help you document your claim.
The Compassionate Allowances List
Some problems are so serious that Social Security will immediately approve your benefits upon receiving proof of diagnosis. This is so you can utilize benefits as quickly as possible. ALS is one such disease.
Acute leukemia and Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease both can accelerate quickly, as well as certain cancers and carcinomas. It’s important to list any of these conditions if you have them, as they shorten the turnaround time of your application.
Overlapping Issues or Disorders
Even if you don’t think of something as a major ailment or disease, it’s important to know if the source of your problems qualifies you for any benefits. An issue may be easier to identify or diagnose quickly this way.
For instance- depression may not qualify you without a proper diagnosis, but if your depression stems from the recent diagnosis of another condition, you may have an easier time documenting your claim for benefits.
You may also be able to use past diagnostics if you are hesitant to spend more money on a specialist. That said, you may want to call your doctor first. They may be able to tell you what kind of appointment you need to confirm your ailment.
Help Is Just One Click Away
Don’t let complicated eligibility requirements get you down. With help from professionals, you can get your SSD benefits squared away in no time!
We’ve taken care of the first step. Get a free case evaluation today!
