When your child has a disabling condition like Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, which requires constant vigilance and supervision, it brings a lot of changes to your life. For most parents, having a child with a serious disability has a significant effect on their ability to work full time and earn a living. While no one wants to reduce their concern for their child to the level of a financial matter, the financial strain can be tough on families.
Fortunately, children with severe disabilities that hinder them from developing and being a part of normally age appropriate activities can qualify or Social Security Disability benefits such as Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, and sometimes Medicare. These programs are designed to help offset the significant costs of raising a special needs child for families in need.
Until recently, everyone who applied for Social Security had to face the same general process. Whether your child had a condition that clearly qualified as disabled according to the Social Security Administration’s standards or a condition that required further testing, the process took at least three months before your claim was considered.
However, in 2008 the SSA released their list of Compassionate Allowances. Compassionate Allowances are for conditions that always qualify for Social Security Disability benefits by virtue of the fact that the condition is considered serious enough that anyone who has it would meet the SSA standards for disability anyway. Rather than continuing to make such people go through the entire claims and appeals process, the SSA now separates the cases of claimants who have a condition that qualifies for a Compassionate Allowance and gives them priority.
Because of this, the amount of time it has taken to process disability claims for people with a Compassionate Allowance condition has been significantly reduced. In most cases, claims are approved within three weeks, and the claimant’s representatives will begin receiving Social Security Disability benefits in the next benefit cycle. Often, the entire process takes just a little more than a month.
Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, Lethal Type – Condition and Symptoms
Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa is a genetic disorder that causes minor injuries like bruises and scratches to cause painful and easily infected skin blisters. The condition is present at birth, and is usually diagnosed immediately or shortly thereafter.
Typical symptoms include skin blisters and enlarged skin tissue in areas that have suffered what would normally be very minor abrasions or friction. Common areas where infants develop the skin blisters include the area covered by a diaper, elbows, legs, feet, hands, nose, eyes, and mouth. The blistering may also occur internally, with a number of bodily systems affected. When an infant’s lungs are affected, he or she will have a distinctive, hoarse sounding cry, and may have a persistent cough and trouble breathing.
This condition is extremely dangerous, with over 85% of children inflicted with it dying in the first year of life. In addition to death, a number of physical deformities may occur, most notably the fusing together of fingers or joints. There is currently no cure or standard treatment beyond daily care for the abrasions and wounds. Constant pain management and bandaging are required to help these children survive. Some work has been attempted in recent years with artificial skin grafts, and it is believed that this may be beneficial for children with Lethal Type Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa.
Filing for Social Security Disability Benefits with Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, Lethal Type
The diagnosis of Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa is generally pretty clear cut, and there is seldom an argument with the doctor’s findings. When you apply for Social Security Disability benefits, you will want to make sure that the doctor’s report includes a description of the location, appearance, and frequency of flare ups and skin lesions. The medical file should also include the results of a skin biopsy.
As long as all of your paperwork is filled out correctly and the medical file is complete, you should be able to qualify for a Compassionate Allowance. If you don’t receive notice that your claim has been approved and you have been placed in the Compassionate Allowance program within the first month, you should consider calling the SSA to make sure there are no problems.
Your Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, Lethal Type Social Security Disability Case
Even when you qualify for a Compassionate Allowance, it can be a good idea to have a Social Security Disability lawyer handling your claim for you. Not only does it save you a lot of time and aggravation, but it can also help ensure that nothing is out of place with your claim.
Most Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa cases are immediately flagged for a Compassionate Allowance and go through without much issue. But, in the event that your case is an exception, you’re going to want a tough Social Security Disability lawyer standing with you to make sure it gets straightened out.
To have a Social Security Disability attorney look over your case for you, simply fill out the accompanying request for a free evaluation.
