Do Multiple Disabilities Improve the Odds of Receiving Benefits?

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Disabilities are complex, and many affect multiple systems of the body. As a result, it’s not uncommon for an individual to be diagnosed with multiple disabling conditions. If you are seeking disability benefits, you may wonder how having multiple conditions could impact your application process.

Working with a Gulf Coast disability attorney can help you streamline the application process, include all relevant information in your documentation, and boost your chances of success. Call Quin Baker, SSD Lawyer at 850-433-0888 to set up a consultation now.

 

How the SSA Looks at Multiple Disabilities

The SSA has a process for everything and that includes applicants with multiple disabilities. The SSA takes a comprehensive approach to these cases, looking at both the combined effects of the disabilities on the applicant and how each disability affects the applicant.

When going through the applicant’s documentation, they look into the applicant’s impairments and whether or not they meet the Blue Book threshold for either diagnosis. If they don’t, they look at the cumulative effects of the diagnoses to determine whether or not their limitations put them over the threshold for SSDI benefits.

In addition, the SSA considers how multiple disabilities affect an individual’s functional limitations. Multiple disabilities can severely hinder an individual’s ability to ambulate independently, lift objects, carry objects, and be on their feet for hours at a time. Should their limitations be significant enough to prevent them from working, this may be enough to warrant SSDI benefits—even if they do not meet the requirements for any individual diagnosis.

 

Physical and Mental Impairments

It’s not uncommon for applicants with physical disabilities to also suffer one or more mental diagnoses. These diagnoses may have come about separately from each other, or the mental impairment may be a result of the limitations and pain of the physical disability.

Mental health issues can significantly worsen the effects of physical disabilities. Mental conditions can limit a person’s ability to regulate their response to pain, their ability to tolerate pain, and their ability to navigate life with limitations caused by disabilities. In turn, this can further negatively impact an individual’s ability to work.

 

What Happens When You Don’t Meet a Listed Impairment

The Blue Book can be a good source of information for applicants, but it can be frustrating if they barely miss the cutoff for both diagnoses, especially when they know that their combined diagnoses completely prevent them from working. However, the SSA does look into the combined effects of diagnoses.

If the examiner in charge of a file sees that an applicant misses the cutoff for each of their disabling conditions, they may reach out to a medical consultant to discuss the file. If the medical consultant finds that the two diagnoses together equal the severity of one of the impairments listed in the Blue Book, the applicant may be approved for benefits.

 

Medical-Vocational Allowance

Of course, your application may also be approved if the Social Security Administration assesses your residual functional capacity to determine your medical-vocational allowance. The RFC assessment looks at various types of restrictions to determine if you are able to work in your previous field of employment and if you are able to work in any other industries. The SSA looks at:

  • Limitations regarding how much weight you can carry and how long you can stand
  • Mental restrictions
  • Bending, squatting, and balancing limitations
  • Losses in sight, hearing, or speech
  • Limitations in the work environment
  • Manipulative restrictions that limit your ability to work with your hands and arms

 

How Much Money You Receive

One of the most common questions posed by those with multiple disabilities is, “Will I get more money from SSDI if I have multiple disabilities?” The amount you receive for SSDI is based on your work history and average income over the course of your career. It is not based on the severity of your disability or how many disabilities you have, so you will receive the same amount regardless of your diagnosis.

 

Get the Help You Deserve with Quin Baker, SSD Lawyer

Ready to start your SSDI journey? We know this process can be complicated, but with the right Pensacola SSDI attorney, you can submit the strongest application possible. Call us at 850-433-0888 or send us a message online to get started.

SSD for Congestive Heart Failure

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Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the United States. Congestive heart failure is a serious health problem that occurs when the heart doesn’t pump blood efficiently enough. As a result, blood starts to back up in the body. It’s common for the lungs to fill with fluid, making breathing difficult and painful.

It’s obvious why a diagnosis like this could cause serious issues with your quality of life, mobility, and ability to work. If you qualify for SSDI benefits with your work credits, you still need to prove that your disability is significant enough to warrant benefits. We can help. Call Baker & Baker at 850-433-0888 to set up a consultation now.

Congestive Heart Failure in the Blue Book

Congestive heart failure is included in the Listing of Impairments under the name chronic heart failure. To qualify, you must meet two separate sets of requirements.

The first requirement is one of these two:

  • Systolic failure marked by left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions larger than 6cm or ejection fraction of 30% or less during a stable period
  • Diastolic failure marked by a left ventricular posterior wall and septal thickness of 2.5cm or greater, and an enlarged left atrium that is larger than or equal to 4.5cm

You must also have one of the following:

  • Persistent heart failure symptoms that keep you from starting, carrying on with, or completing your activities of daily living—in addition, an MC with experience in cardiovascular disease must have determined that an exercise test would be too risky for you
  • Three or more acute congestive heart failure episodes in a 12-month period, resulting in fluid retention and extended medical intervention
  • Inability to do an exercise tolerance test with a workload of 5 METs or less, due to one of the following:
    • Fatigue, heart palpitations, chest discomfort
    • Three or more episodes of ventricular tachycardia or increasing frequency of ventricular ectopy
    • Systolic pressure drops 10mm Hg or more below baseline during exercise
    • Inadequate cerebral perfusion

Evidence of Limitations

As you see, part of the Blue Book listing involves an inability to do an exercise test. For clarification, an exercise test with a workload of 5 METs or less would prevent you from doing any moderately intensive activity. Between 3 and 6 METs is the range for moderately intensive activity.

One MET is the equivalent of sitting at your desk. To compare to the averages for healthy individuals, a good maximum METs value for a 30-year-old woman is 14. A good maximum for a 30-year-old man is 15. This means that if you plan to qualify under this heading, you must have serious limitations that would put you in danger if you exerted yourself.

Proving Your Congestive Heart Failure Limitations

As is the case with any SSDI case, proving your disability and its effect on your life is crucial. The Blue Book listing for chronic heart failure is very specific, outlining the exact symptoms and testing results you must have if you want to receive SSDI benefits. However, proving the more subjective parts of the listing true can be challenging—for example, heart failure symptoms that interfere with activities of daily living can be difficult to prove.

It’s important to work with a medical professional with experience in SSDI claims. The SSDI tends to be very thorough in its review of case files, and you’ll want to submit the strongest application you can. This may include multiple diagnostic scans, follow-up scans proving the severity of your disease, and doctors’ reports indicating the physical limitations you face.

You can also work with a disability attorney to send out your best application the first time around. Most applications are denied the first time—avoid the common mistakes that plague most applicants and put your best foot forward from the very beginning.

Choose Baker & Baker for Your Disability Claim

Ready to pursue SSDI benefits for your congestive heart failure? The team at Baker & Baker is here to help you fight for the benefits you know you deserve. Get started now by setting up a consultation with our team. Just contact us online or give us a call at 850-433-0888 to schedule a meeting and learn more about your next steps.

How Long Does It Take to Get Social Security Disability?

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You have made the decision to apply for Social Security disability benefits. Now you’re wondering how long you have to wait for a decision. This can be a stressful time, especially if you are counting on disability benefits to provide for your family and meet your obligations.

Learning more about the timeline and how you can shorten it empowers you to make the most of this time. Get the support and guidance you need by calling Baker & Baker at 850-433-0888.

Know the Timeline

On average, the Social Security Administration needs about three to five months to make a decision. This is confirmed both by applicant reports and by the SSA itself. The SSA does note, however, that there are several factors that can affect your wait time.

How to Save Time

If there’s such a large window of time where applications may be approved or denied, how can you speed up the process and get a decision as quickly as possible? There are several things you can do.

First, the Social Security Administration recommends starting the application process online. They note that this is considerably faster than submitting everything in person.

On the same note, make sure you are fully prepared for every appointment you must attend. Ensure that you have your medical records, work logs, and any other evidence you need. Any time you have to send something in later, you set back your application’s consideration date.

Some people rush to submit their applications as soon as possible, believing that this is the best way to speed up their timeline. However, this can actually hurt you. If you submit your application when it isn’t as strong as possible, there’s a good chance that you’ll be denied outright or be required to see one of the SSA’s doctors. In both cases, you significantly extend your wait time. It’s better to spend slightly more time on your application and ensure that it has as much evidence as possible.

You’ll also want to stay on top of your application process and any communication from the SSA. If they request additional information or documentation, submitting it right away is beneficial to your claim.

The Timeline for an Appeal

If you have to go through the appeal process one or more times, you’ll obviously have a longer waiting period. This doesn’t mean that you should give up, though. By responding to denials immediately and requesting an appeal, you can save a considerable amount of time. If you request a reconsideration of your application, plan on spending about three to four months waiting.

Those who have to go further with the appeal process generally wait far longer than those two are approved the first time around or during their reconsideration. Plan on this process taking at least six months, although it could take up to two years depending on the backlog of cases where you are.

How an Attorney Can Help

Hearing that a final decision could take years is disheartening, but you still have a lot of control over the process. If you want to be proactive about your disability application and do everything you can to secure approval, it’s time to talk to a disability lawyer about your options.

A lawyer who works exclusively in disability benefits cases can tell you how long the backlog is in your area, what the timeline is for most clients, and trends they’ve noticed with the SSA. Even better, they can do a thorough review of your application or appeal paperwork.

They can use their expertise to ensure that your application is as strong as possible. This may help you avoid unnecessary denials and get approved more quickly. While you can wait to talk to an attorney until you have been denied, working with one from the very beginning may save you time and bring you peace of mind.

Choose Baker & Baker as You Pursue Disability Benefits

The team at Baker & Baker is here to help you pursue the benefits you deserve. Ready to take the first step? Call us at 850-433-0888 or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation. Wherever you are in the process, we look forward to assisting you.