If your kidneys aren’t working as they should, your body will suffer from a build-up of waste and water products. You may suffer from complications and symptoms that are troublesome and sometimes disabling. Genitourinary disorders could lead to chronic pain, severe weight loss, and extreme fatigue.
These complications are very serious in nature and could make it difficult for you to continue with your daily activities and work to earn a living. If your condition makes it impossible to earn a living, you might be able to get approved for disability benefits.
Determining Eligibility
Renal failure or severe kidney disorder can make your life difficult. The Social Security Administration (SSA) only pays monthly disability benefits to individuals who will be totally disabled for a year or longer.
The Blue Book is the medical guide that is used to determine if an individual meets the medical criteria to be determined as disabled and to receive monthly disability benefits. Genitourinary Disorders are found in Section 6.00 of the Blue Book. There are several different disorders covered in this section of the book, including:
- Hereditary nephropathies
- Chronic obstructive uropathy
- Chronic glomerulonephritis
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Diabetic nephropathy
- Hypertensive nephropathy
Your treatments and your specific condition are considered, so the qualifications for being approved for benefits do differ. As an example, if you are getting ongoing dialysis because of chronic kidney disease and you are going to need dialysis for a minimum of 12 months, or if your treating physician expects your condition to last a minimum of a year, your claim might be approved.
Exceptions
Your eligibility is based on your specific diagnosis, your impairments, and your symptoms. An attorney can help you file your claim so you can start getting the monthly benefits that you need to cover the costs of medical care and living expenses. If you don’t meet the criteria of a listing, you can still be approved for disability benefits. You could qualify using a residual functional capacity (RFC). The RFC details your limitations and restrictions for the SSA so Disability Determination Services can determine if you are able to work.
The RFC will carefully outline your abilities, such as how long you can stand, how much you can lift, how far you can walk, and how often you can bend. To be approved for disability benefits, your ability to work must be very limited. If you can return to your previous job role or perform the duties of another job that you would be qualified to do, your disability claim will most likely be denied.
Proving You Are Disabled
The SSA will need to get hard medical evidence to show your condition and how it affects your ability to work. Your disability attorney will provide Disability Determination Services with copies of your medical records and the contact details that they need to access your medical history. The individual handling your claim will want to see proof of your restrictions and limitations as well as evidence of your inability to work.
A Social Security disability attorney can help you to file a claim today and increase your chances of receiving disability benefits.
