Using Multiple Medical Problems
If you cannot qualify using your COPD diagnosis alone, you may qualify when all your medical problems are taken into consideration.
As an example, if you cannot qualify with the Blue Book listing of COPD, but you also suffer from hypertension, a heart problem, and diabetes, you should include those medical conditions and the symptoms and restrictions that they cause you.
Having more than one medical problem can increase your chances of having your disability claim approved. The disability examiner will have to take all your medical problems into consideration as well as the restrictions and limitations you have because of them.
While COPD alone may not be considered disabling because it isnt severe enough, when you add problems with blood pressure and a hear condition, it may be all it takes to show that you are unable to work and earn a living.
The heart problem may limit your ability to walk or exert yourself, and the blood sugar problems may make it difficult for you to stand long periods and may call for frequent breaks for you to check your blood sugar levels, to take medication or snack, or to address your health issues in general.
You want to make sure all your issues are given fair consideration because they can help paint a bigger picture of your overall health restrictions and limitations.
When And Where Were Burn Pits Used
Veterans who served in any of the following military operations since September 11, 2001 may have been exposed to burn pits:
- Operation Iraqi Freedom
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Operation New Dawn
Research continues to be done to link burn pit exposure to a variety of different conditions, such as cancers and respiratory illnesses. In order to fully understand the harm caused by military burn pits, further research will need to be conducted. However, research has indicated that one of the known chemical compounds released by burn pits includes the dioxin
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Consult With A Social Security Attorney
If the SSA determines that your arthritis precludes you from performing any kind of available work, they will approve your claim and you will begin receiving social Security Disability benefits. It is worth noting that most initial claims are denied.
If your claim is denied, you should consider consulting a Social Security Disability attorney regarding the best way to go about the appeals process.
Many Social Security Disability claims which are initially denied are later approved in the appeals process. While you are allowed to represent yourself at all stages of the process, you are much more likely to win your case if you are represented by an experienced Social Security disability lawyer.
What Should I Avoid If I Have Copd
Caffeinated drinks include coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks, such as Red Bull. Ask your doctor about alcohol. You may be advised to avoid or limit alcoholic beverages, as they can interact with medications. Alcohol may also slow down your breathing rate and make it more difficult to cough up mucus.
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Is Copd Considered A Terminal Illness
COPD is not a terminal illness but a chronic disease that gets worse over time . Although there is no cure for COPD, the illness can be successfully managed especially if its recognized early.
Studies have shown that the rate at which the lung function of COPD patients decreases can be reduced if a diagnosis is made in the early stages of the disease and if medical treatment starts without delay. Furthermore, lifestyle changes can slow down the speed at which COPD symptoms get worse. For example, one study found that stopping smoking after a COPD diagnosis delayed the worsening of the disease. Even though this was the case at all stages of COPD, earlier actions had the biggest impact.
Can you live 10 or 20 years with COPD?
The exact length of time you can live with COPD depends on your age, health, and symptoms. Especially if your COPD is diagnosed early, if you have mild stage COPD, and your disease is well managed and controlled, you may be able to live for 10 or even 20 years after diagnosis. For example, one study found that people who were diagnosed with mild stage COPD, or GOLD stage 1, had no shorter life expectancy than healthy people.
This is especially so if you dont smoke: Other research has found that life expectancy with COPD is reduced further for past and current smokers.
People with severe stage COPD, lose about eight to nine years of life expectancy on average .
It’s Time To Get The Benefits You Deserve
Suze Orman shares how to get disability benefits in less timewith no out-of-pocket costs
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Three: Gather Tax Info Work History And Prepare To Fill Out The Application
Before applying for benefits, you should prepare as much information about your life and history as possible. Two of the most important additional documents you must provide on your application are a) your tax information, and b) your past work history.
Tax information allows the SSA to see how much money you have contributed to Social Security in your years of work. Depending on your age, you must have contributed a certain amount of money to Social Security in order to qualify.
Work history is also provided to show the SSA what types of work you have experience in, when/if you stopped working, and whether or not your illness prevents you from working similar jobs.
How To Apply For Disability Benefits For Copd
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease refers to various inflammatory lung diseases like bronchitis and emphysema that occur and worsen on a regular basis. Those who suffer from COPD experience shortness of breath, coughing, and related pain that can prevent activity and work.
If you suffer from COPD and are no longer capable of working or supporting yourself, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits, created to provide monthly assistance to those in severe need. Fill out your information to receive a free case evaluation. Start the disability benefits process today.
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Qualifying With Arthritis Using A Medical
In some cases, an applicant might be able to qualify for Social Security disability benefits using a medical-vocational allowance. The medical-vocational allowance comes into play when someone files for Social Security disability benefits with a condition that doesnt completely prevent him or her from working, but it does have the potential to limit the ability to work.
Some of the considerations used to determine whether a medical-vocational allowance is appropriate include residual function capacity , age, education and past work experience.
The Social Security Administration evaluates claims based on an applicants extertional and nonexertional limitations and whether they prevent the applicant from completing his or her job.
Your residual function capacity is the maximum amount of work that you are able to perform as a result of your condition as determined by the SSA. Each persons RFC is different and this is what makes your medical documentation so important.
- Nonexertional demands of work include mental ability, posture and balance, use of hands , visual, ability to communicate orally and aurally, and environmental.
- Exertional demands of work include movements, including walking, standing, sitting, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling.
When it comes to receiving Social Security disability benefits, making sure that you have the proper medical documentation is the most important.
Using Your Copd Disability Rating
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is an especially prevalent disease among American military veterans. COPD blocks the airways, which makes it difficult to breathe normally.
The tubes and air sacs within the respiratory system trap some of the oxygen in the lungs. Because of exposure to toxic chemicals both during training and in the field during combat, military veterans represent one of the largest groups of Americans that seek Social Security disability benefits for COPD.
The Veterans Administration provides a rating for each veteran that is treated by the federal government agency. VA criteria used to calculate a rating for veterans differ among the different types of medical conditions.
The VA examination for COPD determines how long it takes you to breathe properly, how much air you can inhale, and how much air you can exhale.
In addition, the VA puts you through a few simple exercises to observe your respiratory performance. The pulmonary function tests conducted by the VA include FEV1, which is called the forced expiratory volume test. You receive a rating for the FEV1 test and the higher you score, the lower your VA disability rating.
If you receive a VA disability rating of 100 percent, you might qualify for the expedited claim process administered by the Social Security Administration .
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Different Areas Where You Can Get Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, the tissue around the joints and surrounding tissues. Since there are joints all over the body, its possible to get arthritis in many locations even though its most common in the hands, knees and back.
Over time, the cartilage in joints will break down, which leads to inflammation and arthritis. Thats why the condition is so common in hands and knees since those are two areas that are used all the time.
Arthritis can also be caused by injury, such as an old sports injury or a repetitive motion injury. The latter is one of the reasons arthritis can make doing work so difficult. Imagine working in a factory that requires you to pull levers or assemble parts.
Arthritis in the hands would make this work difficult, and so some people find themselves unable to perform their jobs and must seek out assistance.
You can file a claim for Social Security disability benefits with arthritis. You will need to demonstrate that your condition makes you unable to perform the requirements of your job, which is why collecting medical evidence is the most important part of your application.
Can I Get Disability For My Emphysema
If you suffer from severe emphysema, you may be approved automatically for disability benefits if you either meet the Social Security Administration’s listing requirements for COPD , or if your doctor’s restrictions on what you can do limit you so much that there are no jobs left for you to do.
To determine whether you meet the COPD listing, the SSA will give you a test designed to evaluate your lung function called a spirometry test. Even if your doctor has given you this test before, the SSA requires that you undergo a new exam administered by one of its doctors, at what’s called a consultative exam. The spirometry test monitors how much air is exchanged when you breathe and the rate at which you breathe. The spirometry test required for emphysema suffers will specifically measure how much air you can force out in the first second of an exhalation .
For automatic approval for your emphysema, you’ll also have to provide the SSA with a chest x-ray or other diagnostic imaging test that shows the disease. For more information on the specific listing requirements, see our article on chronic pulmonary insufficiency. This article also discusses how you can get disability benefits for emphysema based on your doctor’s restrictions on what you can do.
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Two: Get Test Results Confirming The Severity Of Your Condition
While some people with COPD experience crippling side effects, others continue to function rather normally and may not even know they have it. This means, when applying for benefits, it is important to provide the SSA with as much physical evidence as possible to show that your COPD prevents you from living your normal life.
The best types of evidence you can provide for COPD are spirometry tests , DLCO tests , oxygen saturation tests, and imaging scans of the lungs. If your results show a severe obstruction of your breathing in relation to your age, weight and height, you may qualify for disability via the Blue Book, the SSAs disability guidebook.
If your diagnosis doesnt fit the Blue Book, this doesnt mean you are disqualified from receiving benefits you can still get your application approved by providing enough supporting evidence.
What Is Required To Meet Social Securitys Copd Listing
The listing provides as follows:
A. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, due to any cause, with the FEV1 equal to or less than the values specified in Table I corresponding to the persons height without shoes.
| Height | FEV1 equal to or less than |
|---|---|
| 154 or less |
1.55 1.65 |
FEV1 is defined as the forced expiratory volume at one second that is it is the amount of air a person can exhale in one second.
If you are close to meeting or do in fact meet, the FEV1, you are in pretty bad shape health wise. The values SSA uses for the FEV1 analysis are considered low because SSA is erring on the side of caution.
Claimants who have COPD usually cannot tolerate dust, smoke, or fumes and can have problems with extreme temperatures or humidity. COPD usually results in an exertional impairment. The full extent of the exertional impairment will have an impact on whether your COPD qualifies for disability.
Many disability applicants with COPD are older than 50 and thus, fall onto the grids. Winning disability for a claimant younger than 50 with COPD is difficult unless the COPD is termed as moderate or worse and results in significant exertional impairments.
Typically, if you apply for social security disability alleging Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or another respiratory ailment, SSA will send you for a consultative examination. At this CE, the doctor will perform a spirometric pulmonary function test. This test measures your FEV1.
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Your Medical Records Should Include Results From The Following Tests:
- Spirometry test measures how much air a person can breathe in and out of the lungs and how quickly they can exhale. A spirometry test should also be done when not having an attack to create a baseline measurement.
- Arterial blood gas studies measures oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood.
- FVC test results the amount of air a person can forcefully and quickly exhale after taking a deep breath.
- FEV1 results the amount of air a person can force out of the lungs in one second.
Your medical records must also show you are following at-home treatments like using an inhaler.
S To Take In Order To Qualify
To determine whether a person qualifies for Social Security Disability because of arthritis, the SSA uses the following steps:
Financial Requirements
The SSA first determines whether you are currently working. If you are gainfully employed , you will be disqualified for Social Security Disability based on your demonstrated ability to perform substantial gainful activity.
To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance , you will need to have enough work credits. These are earned by working and paying Social Security taxes. Typically, if you have worked five of the last ten years, you will have enough work credits. Depending on your age, there are a specific number of credits you must have to qualify for SSDI.
If you do not have enough work credits, but your income and assets are limited, you may be eligible for Supplement Security Income . SSI is meant for those of extreme financial need, so you must have less than $2,000 in assets . SSI is based on household income, so your spouses income will be considered when the SSA is determining if you are financially eligible.
Medical Requirements For Disability Benefits With Arthritis
The SSA determines whether your arthritis is severe enough to hinder you from performing physical activities commonly required for working. These activities may include such things as:
- sitting or standing
- kneeling or walking
- lifting and use of fine motor skills
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