What kind of digestive conditions does Social Security Consider?
There are numerous forms of digestive conditions, some short term; some kinds are a lifelong battle. Digestive issues can be unpredictable and can cause significant pain, discomfort, and embarrassment. The most common types of digestive conditions that Social Security looks at are Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Ulcerative Colitis. Other conditions that may affect the digestive system are conditions of the liver, hepatitis, and gout.
How Does Social Security View Digestive Conditions?
When Social Security looks at the severity of your condition to determine if you are medically eligible for the benefit or not, they look at two main criteria. The two main questions Social Security asks are whether your condition meets or equals a listing, or whether your condition affects your ability to do certain tasks so much that you can no longer perform any kind of work competitively.
Listings: Listings are 14 different types of conditions, that if you meet the exact criteria Social Security has set up, you will be considered medically eligible for Disability.
Digestive issues can be caused by a number of factors, and can be looked at a variety of ways. However, there is no catch-all listing for Digestive Conditions. Below we list the most commonly looked at listing when it comes to digestive conditions, you should realize that meeting the listing for Digestive Conditions is extremely difficult; and it is much more likely that you will be successful based on your limited functional ability. For a more in-depth look at your case and whether or not it could possibly meet a disability listing you should call our office and speak with an attorney today at 1-800-488-4775.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Listing 5.06)
For you to qualify due to a bowel condition under the IBD listing you must have a diagnosis of IBD plus a complication such as bowel obstruction, perineal disease with abscess, tender abdominal mass, or anemia. You may also be successful if you have a diagnosed bowel condition and have lost a significant amount of weight due to the condition.
Other listings for digestive conditions include chronic liver disease, short bowel syndrome, hemorrhaging in the gastrointestinal region requiring a blood transfusion, or a liver transplant.
Again, to specifically speak about your case, you should contact our office and speak to one of our attorneys at 1-800-488-4775.
Functional Ability:
If you do not meet the listing for a condition, or if a specific listing does not exist for your condition, you can still win your case if you show that you are unable to do any sort of competitive work due to your condition.
Many people are discouraged when they hear that their condition may not exactly meet a listing, and they think that their case has no shot, but this is not the case. Most people who are awarded benefits because of diabetes win by proving that their diabetes affects their ability to function on a day-to-day basis.
To prove your case based on your functional ability you have to show that your specific digestive condition would keep you from being able to perform any full time work for at least one year. Proving that a digestive condition is disabling for at least one year can be difficult because many digestive issues come and go, and they are frequently well controlled for a period and then out of nowhere the conditions will worsen. The most effective way to show the judge that your digestive conditions are disabling is by having your doctor and your attorney work together to show how unpredictable and frequent your restroom trips can be, or by showing that the constant and nausea cause extreme fatigue, making it impossible to work full time.
Call our office today and see if you qualify:
While we provide the information above about Social Security Disability benefits so that you will better understand if you are eligible, the best way to check your eligibility is by calling our office and speaking to one of our client service representatives today. You may reach our office toll free at 1-800-488-4775.