The Social Security Administration (SSA) puts out a resource called the Blue Book that lists every known medical condition and the corresponding symptoms. Virtually every disease and illness covered in the Blue Book, such as a heart attack, occurs suddenly without any warning. However, that is not the case with one disease that slowly creeps into the lives of millions of Americans every year.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease that significantly decreases bone strength over an extended period of time. Bones become highly fragile and break easily, particularly those located in the hips, hands, and wrists. Because it takes considerable time for osteoporosis to unfold, the disease is hard to prove for patients tying to collect Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. If you suffer from osteoporosis, you need to submit a list of detailed medical records that have been meticulously vetted by your doctors. In addition, you need to submit plenty of hard evidence to make your SSD benefits claim successful.
Follow the Guidelines Presented in the SSA Blue Book
When you plan to submit an SSD benefits claim for osteoporosis, the SSA offers you a convenient guide called the Blue Book to ensure you submit the right medical records. The Blue Book includes hundreds of proven diseases and illnesses that potentially can cause permanent disabilities. Within the comprehensive Blue Book, the SSA lists every medical record you should submit for filing an SSD claim for osteoporosis. The SSA constantly updates the guidelines for the Blue Book presented online. However, the print version of the Blue Book is most likely outdated.
Enlist the Help of Your Doctor to Prove a Disabling Case of Osteoporosis
It is not enough to submit receipts of the bills you paid to diagnose and treat an acute case of osteoporosis. You also need to submit a statement made by your doctor that confirms you suffer from debilitating osteoporosis symptoms. The SSA places more emphasis on statements made by medical specialists, which means you need to submit a document signed by a specialist who diagnoses and treats bone diseases.
The SSA Blue Book lists the medical records you need to submit to prove an osteoporosis SSD benefits claim:
- Inability to walk
- Use of a cane, walker, and/or crutches
- Severe pain caused by body movements
- Unable to travel to and from work
- Proof you have trouble performing basic daily routines, such as banking and shopping
You also must submit the results of several medical tests:
- Bone Mineral Density (BMD) that includes a t-score and a z-score
- More than one blood test that confirms an osteoporosis diagnosis
- Calcium levels
- Thyroid levels such as T4, TSH, and Free T3
- Alkaline Phosphatase
- Parathyroid (PTH)
- Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
- Amount of vitamin D
Since osteoporosis is often detected after someone breaks a bone, it is crucial you submit documentation that verifies a fractured bone. Hard evidence of bone fractures come from imaging tests, including an MRI, a CT scan, and a series of x-rays of the area where a bone fractured. The Blue Book discusses the medical records needed to file an SSD benefits claim for one or more broken bones in Section 1.06.
When you file an SSD benefits claim for osteoporosis, you cannot risk losing your claim by not filing the proper medical documentation. With the help of a licensed Social Security Lawyer, you will submit all the proper medical documentation required to get your claimed approved by the SSA. The SSA considers legal assistance to mean you are serious about your osteoporosis benefits claim.
