It starts with a dull pain in the lower back that you attribute to a minor incident. Eventually, the pain slowly gets worse until one day, you cannot get out of bed to earn another day of wages
After repeated attempts to ease the pain, you notice more serious symptoms of what ails you. You begin to feel chronic fatigue, as well as experience spells of nausea that renders you incapable of leaving the house.
Finally, you visit a physician who diagnoses your medical condition as liver disease.
How will you be able to pay for household bills, much less have any money for buying daily essentials like groceries? You might qualify to receive monthly benefits under a program operated by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
SSA Approved Benefits for Debilitating Medical Conditions
Most Americans view the SSA as the federal agency that approves and distributes Social Security benefits to workers that have retired from the workforce. However, the SSA also manages another important benefits program called Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
Under SSDI, qualified applicants receive financial help to cover the costs associated with a medical condition that prevents the applicants from working. To qualify for SSDI benefits, you must prove a qualified medical condition has prevented you from earning wages at a full-time job.
How the Blue Book Influences SSDI Applications
The SSA does not use arbitrary metrics when it decides the legitimacy of SSDI applications. It refers to what is called the Blue Book, which consists of 14 categories that list hundreds of medical conditions for adults that qualify for SSDI benefits consideration.
Each of the medical conditions listed under the 14 major Blue Book categories present the healthcare criteria that qualify applicants to receive SSDI benefits. For liver disease, the Blue Book lists physician-registered symptoms such as vomiting, itchy skin, and dark colored urine.
The SSDI Application Process
The SSDI benefits application consists of several sections that requires detailed information that pertain to liver disease symptoms, as well as a comprehensive explanation as to why the symptoms have kept you out of work.
After receiving a SSDI benefits application, a team of vocational and healthcare experts analyze the application to determine whether the applicant meets every stipulation for having his or her application approved. Some applications receive immediate approval, while other applications are either returned to the applicant as denied or placed in a file for further discussion.
How to Apply for SSDI Benefits
The SSA provides several options for American citizens and legal residents to apply for SSDI benefits. You can submit a handwritten application through the mail, although the snail mail method for applying can take much longer than you can afford. A visit to the nearest SSA office ensures your application is received, but once again, there might be a delay in processing it.
Going online to the SSA website and submitting the digital version of the SSDI benefits application represents the most efficient submission method. You should immediately receive a confirmation number that you use every time you contact the SSA to check on the status of your application.
Working with an experienced disability lawyer can help you stay on top of the status of your SSDI benefits application. Your attorney can also help you create the most compelling application to increase the likelihood the SSA approves your SSDI benefits application.
