If you have type 1 or 2 diabetes and cannot work as a result, you might be wondering what your options are for financial assistance. While diet and medication can often control diabetes, there is no cure for the condition. The list of symptoms is long, ranging in severity from mild fatigue and excessive thirst to heart problems and nerve damage.
Because diabetes affects different people in different ways, the Social Security Administration (SSA) no longer lists it as a condition that it considers disabling. Instead, it reserves benefits for those who have specific complications from the condition or can demonstrate that their condition prevents them from working.
These are hazy distinctions. The strength of your disability application plays a big role in whether you receive approval. That is why you need the most skilled and experienced disability attorneys on your side.
At the Disability Advantage Group, our job is to win disability benefits for those with medical conditions that keep them from working. We have fought enough cases that we have a full understanding of how the process works. We know how to build a winning claim on your behalf.
We want to put our experience and resources to work for you. Come in for a free consultation with our attorneys. You can have all your questions answered and get free advice on getting disability for diabetes. Call 865-566-0800 today for an appointment.
How Do I Qualify for Disability Benefits With Diabetes?
There are two ways to qualify for disability for diabetes. The first is through the SSA’s Blue Book. This is a list of medical impairments the SSA considers so severe that they are disabling.
To qualify under a Blue Book listing, we must provide proof to the SSA that your condition meets their specific medical criteria. If your specific condition does not meet the Blue Book’s criteria, we can help you apply based on your functional limitations.
How Do I Qualify Through the Blue Book Criteria?
Diabetes does not qualify for benefits on its own. However, you can still qualify through the Blue Book if you have certain complications from diabetes. The SSA will examine your case based on medical listings for other diabetes-related complications.
Amputation of an Extremity
In extreme cases, nerve damage or poor circulation from diabetes can lead to the loss of an extremity. This is most often a foot.
Diabetic Retinopathy
You can qualify under this listing if the vision in your better eye is worse than 20/100 or you have compromised peripheral vision.
Coronary Artery Disease or Peripheral Vascular Disease
Diabetes can cause complications with the heart and cardiovascular system, in which case you may qualify for disability benefits.
Diabetic Gastroparesis
This refers to abnormal gastrointestinal motility brought on by diabetes.
Bacterial and Fungal Skin Infections
Skin infections can happen to anyone, but diabetes often compromises the healing process. If your infection has lasted three months or longer despite treatment and has affected your mobility, you could qualify for benefits.
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathies
This refers to nerve damage. To qualify for benefits under this listing, the damage must significantly affect your mobility.
Cognitive Impairments, Depression, or Anxiety
If your diabetes has led to issues with depression or cognition that severely limit your functionality, you could qualify for benefits under this heading.
At your consultation, our attorneys will look at your medical records and cross-reference them with the SSA’s Blue Book. From there, we can determine whether you qualify based on one of the above listings or whether we need to take a different approach.
If you cannot qualify under any Blue Book heading, it does not mean you will not receive benefits. Instead, we can apply by showing the degree to which your condition causes functional limitation. We do this through something called the Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) test.
What Is the RFC Test?
The RFC test measures your ability to perform various tasks. It relies on evidence from your medical records, your doctor’s opinion, and statements from those who spend a lot of time around you, such as family, friends, and coworkers.
The test measures a host of factors. It looks at your mobility and examines how well you can move around, use your hands, lift objects, and perform similar physical tasks. It also considers other factors that might affect your ability to work, such as how well you can concentrate for long periods of time or work productively in groups with other people.
For instance, if your blood sugar variations cause such a level of brain fog to make you incapable of concentrating, the SSA might consider you unable to work based on your RFC test results.
As your attorneys, we work closely with your treating physician, other medical professionals, and your family, friends, and co-workers to gather evidence that paints a full picture of the extent of your condition. We know what the SSA is looking for and we are adept at building a case to fit their specifications.
Call 865-566-0800 to Speak to a Qualified Disability Attorney at the Disability Advantage Group.
When applying for disability benefits, your attorney matters. The rules are complex and what you include in your application as well as how you structure it can mean the difference in approval and denial.
You want an attorney with a strong track record of winning disability benefits for clients and one who will fight relentlessly for the benefits you deserve. That is what we offer at the Disability Advantage Group. Our attorneys have the experience, knowledge, and winning track record to win your case. We have extensive tools and resources and we will put them to work for you.
Before starting your disability application, call our office for a free consultation. We can answer every question you have, look at your case, and advise you on how to have the best chance of getting benefits for your diabetes. If you decide to move forward with us, we will start working on your case right away, gathering evidence and building your claim.
We look forward to working for you. Call 865-566-0800 today for an appointment.