Is High Blood Pressure A Disability

Hypertension As A Va Disability

Hypertensive vascular disease is considered a potential VA disability under the Federal Schedule for Rating Disabilities, Code 7101 .

The VA considers hypertension to be a diastolic blood pressure that is predominantly 90 mmHg or greater, and isolated systolic hypertension to be a systolic blood pressure that is predominantly 160 mmHg or greater with a diastolic blood pressure of less than 90 mmHg. This is a stricter standard than adopted by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association .

The VA also requires that hypertension be confirmed by readings taken two or more times on at least three different days .

When a Veteran applies for VA disability benefits, the VA assigns a VA Disability Rating to their medical condition. The rating, set by law and expressed as a percentage in 10-percent increments from 0% to 100%, determines the amount of VA benefits that a Veteran receives for service-connected conditions.

For hypertension and isolated systolic hypertension, the VA assigns disability ratings of:

The VAs basic disability compensation rates are based on the Veterans disability rating and the number of dependents. For 2021, the VA pays $144.14 per month for a 10% disability rating and $284.93 for a 20% rating, regardless of dependents. With no dependents, monthly compensation for a 40% rating is $635.77, and for a 60% rating, it is $1,146.39.

Overview Of High Blood Pressure

The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension. Blood flows through the arteries under pressure. The blood volume leaving your heart and the arterial resistance affects this pressure.

When more blood travels through narrowed arteries, the pressure increases. Diseases can cause arteries to narrow and lose elasticity.

Doctors refer to blood pressure in two numbers. Systolic is the top number and diastolic is the bottom number.

Systolic measures the pressure as the blood leaves the heart. The diastolic measures the pressure when the heart fills with blood. An average normal adult blood pressure is about 120 mmHg systolic and 80 mmHg diastolic.

Financial Impact Of Coronavirus

If your finances have been affected by coronavirus, you might be eligible for support from the government.

If you cant work and are on a low income, you might be able to get Universal Credit to help. If you dont have enough money to live on while you wait for your Universal Credit payment, you can ask for an advance payment. If youre self-employed and your ability to work has been affected by coronavirus, you may be able to access a grant through the governments Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

You might also be entitled to more help with your rent. The government has announced that the Local Housing Allowance will be increased to cover more peoples rents. The government has also announced that homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage due to coronavirus can still apply for a mortgage holiday with their mortgage provider until 31 October 2020.

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What Is The Va Disability Rating For Hypertensive Heart Disease

Kidney disease is a broad term that can appear in several stages.

Acute Kidney Disease

Acute kidney disease, or acute kidney failure, occurs when the kidneys stop functioning suddenly. Symptoms of acute kidney failure typically appear within a few days and are often a result of another illness. Acute kidney failure is more likely to occur when an individual has another condition that requires hospitalization or intensive health care. This is a serious condition that requires immediate medical treatment.

Diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is the beginning of kidney disease. In a person with diabetes, it is a progressive kidney disease caused by damage to the capillaries in the kidneys glomeruli. Diabetic nephropathy is diagnosed when there is a presence of elevated urinary protein excretion , and when there is no other type of renal disease presence.

We will go over the connection between diabetes and kidney disease in more depth below.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease , also known as chronic renal disease, is a progressive loss of kidney function over a period of months or years. Individuals with diabetes or high blood pressure are screened for kidney disease, and if undiagnosed for a long period, may already be at the chronic stage by the time it is diagnosed.

There are 5 stages of kidney disease, each stage being determined by the glomerular filtration rate.

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Va Disability High Triglycerides Or Hypercholesterolemia

The VA doesnt grant a disability rating for high triglycerides or cholesterol . Yet, there are several other conditions that meet the service-connected criteria. Heart injuries, diabetes, hypertension, and circulatory problems can all involve high cholesterol.

While high cholesterol, by itself, isnt a disability, it may signal a bigger problem. Its important to see your provider and have them check for other diseases. Ask them to fully document their findings.

Receiving a diagnosis of one of these related conditions may qualify you for VA benefits.

Here one of our VA disability compensation lawyers talks about the benefits available to 100% rated disabled veterans.

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Service Connection In The Va Diabetes Claim

For Veterans who are trying to establish service connection for Diabetes, there are at many ways to skin the proverbial cat. Here are 4:

1) Get a copy of your C-File: I cant stress this enough. Without a copy of your C-File, you are battling the VA with blindfolds on.

2) Locate all references to the early symptomatology of diabetes in the military service and military medical records

3) Get copies of all of your private and post-service medical records.

4) Build a chain showing that the symptomatology of diabetes that first appeared in service continued from discharge until the actual diagnosis of diabetes.

To show that diabetes is secondary to another condition there must be some other injury which is already service connected, or which can be service-connected, and which is the cause of the Veterans diabetes.

I have seen many try to attempt this proof, and very few are successful.

#3:Service Connection by Legal Presumption.

If Diabetes is diagnosed in service, or if the symptoms of Diabetes present to a compensable degree within one year of discharge, the Veterans Diabetes will be presumed to be service-connected.

#4: Agent Orange Exposure.

On November 9, 2000, the VA announced that Vietnam veterans with Type-II diabetes would now be eligible for disability compensation.

So, for Veterans that set foot on soil in Vietnam, exposure to Agent Orange is presumed, and diabetes is then presumed connected to the Agent Orange exposure.

By Alison Barjaktarovich, Contributing Author

Speak To A Qualified Attorney

Applying for SSD can be a long winded and complicated procedure. You will find that it can help to use an experienced SSA attorney to help prepare the initial application. The attorney will know whether you have sufficient documentation to convince the SSA adjudicators of your inability to work because of your disability.

Applications are commonly denied. This doesnt mean that you wont get a chance of obtaining a benefit but does mean that you need to apply. This is a more complicated procedure and may take months if not years to get through. Using a qualified SSA attorney may be necessary if you wish to go through the appeal process.

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Remember Even Though Hypertension Is Not Listed By Social Security As An Impairment You May Still Be Eligible For Social Security Disability Benefits If You Have Another Impairment For Example Diabetes

Applicants often have more than one illness or injury that prevents them from working full time. By itself one disorder may not meet the requirements of an impairment as stated in Social Securitys Blue Book. However, if an applicant has multiple medical conditions, Social Security must consider how those health issues, combined together, limit an applicants ability to hold a job and perform necessary daily tasks.

Philadelphia + Bucks County Disability Lawyers Offering Free Consultations

If you or someone you love is living with hypertension, you may be able to qualify for benefits. To speak confidentially with an experienced New Jersey or Pennsylvania disability benefits lawyer, contact Young, Marr & Associates today. Your first consultation is free, so call right away at 755-3115 in New Jersey or 701-6519 in Pennsylvania.

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What Should A Person With High Blood Pressure Do If They Can No Longer Work

You may need to start by filing a short-term disability claim with your employer. If that is not approved, then youll want help from an experienced disability insurance law firm. To do so effectively, you will need the support from your doctor as to why you cannot work.

If your long-term disability insurance policy does not require filing for short term benefits first, then you will need to apply for long-term benefits directly. Heres something you need to be very aware of the disability insurance company will likely try to deny your high blood pressure claim. The nature of your condition makes it a challenge. Proving the impairment with high blood pressure claims brings challenges, as proof of your condition is NOT proof of your disability from the condition.

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Eligibility For Disability Benefits For High Blood Pressure

You need to have been suffering a total disability related to or including high blood pressure for the last 12 months or expect that you will be unable to work for the next 12 months because of your disability. You also need to have accumulated enough work credits through previous work history. The number of work credits you need depend on how much you earned, how long you worked and your age. You can earn up to 4 work credits a year through paying payroll tax.

Normally, your eligibility for receiving SSD benefits depends on your disability being listed in the SSAs Blue Book and matches the exacting criteria in the listing. However, there is no specific reference to hypertension alone and normally other medical conditions in addition to hypertension are used in conjunction to prove eligibility for a benefit.

The most common way for eligibility to be approved is through completing a Residual Functional Capacity form. This may be done by the SSAs adjudicator, but you can be proactive and have a RFC completed by your own doctor, too.

The adjudicator looks at the RFC and your medical records before coming to a conclusion about whether you are eligible for benefit or whether it is thought that you can continue working. It is common for applications to be denied, although you can appeal any such decision.

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What If Im Sent A Second Form Regarding Time Spent

If sent an additional form regarding your time spent tending to your diabetes, it is best to not only confirm that it takes 14 hours or more a week to maintain, but you should also elaborate further than you had on the initial form.

Heres some examples of how to add up your time:

For injections, take into account the time it takes to:

• Clean the area where injection will go
• Clean and prep the vial
• Perform the injection

Preparing and injecting insulin usually takes around 3.5 hours or a week.

For insulin pumpers, take into account the time it takes to:

• Change pump tubing and insulin cartridge
• Adjusting pump programming

It usually takes 7 plus hours a week to maintain an insulin pump.

For logging, take into account the time it takes to:

• Analyzing trends

It would total 30 minutes per day, equating to 3.5 hours per week.

For checking blood glucose levels, take into account the time it takes to:

• Wash the area to be tested,
• Ensure meter is coded properly
• Insert the test strip
• Apply blood
• Record reading

This is usually done 8 times per day, taking around 3 minutes per test equating to 24 minutes per day or 3 hours per week.

Tips To Pass The Disability Medical Requirements With Hypertension

The SSA has its own internal definition of the word disability, and its not what most people think. Your doctor saying youre disabled is not enough to qualify for benefits. Instead, the medical examiner wants to know:

• Is your hypertension bad enough for you to stop working at least 12 months? Having blood pressure at or above 140/90 usually isnt enough. You must show how hypertension specifically prevents you from working for one year or longer. Listing all your other health issues from hypertension helps support your case.
• How often does your doctor treat your hypertension and other conditions? If you havent seen a doctor in at least 90 days, it may hurt your case. Routine doctors visits and prescription medication for hypertension will strengthen your disability claim.
• Can you find other work to do with the limitations you have now that pays a similar wage? For example: If you cannot work construction full-time with your symptoms, would your company give you an office job instead? Is another employer in your area looking to hire someone with your educational background and work history?

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How Can I Receive Disability Benefits

There are challenges inherent in obtaining disability benefits for high blood pressure. As mentioned above, treatment may help to manage HBP which may cause an insurance company to reject your claim.

You may need to file a short-term disability claim with your employer before youre able to apply for long-term disability benefits. Its always important to read your insurance policy to understand the limitations and exclusions that may affect your benefits.

Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure does not usually cause any obvious symptoms. As a result, it is known as the silent killer.

The only way to find out whether you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked regularly.

Symptoms can occur in rare cases where a person has a very high blood pressure level. The symptoms may include:

• a headache

Visit your GP as soon as possible if you have any of these symptoms.

Regular blood pressure checks

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is very important to have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis.

Adults who are over 40 and have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure should have their blood pressure checked at least once every five years. However, your blood pressure should ideally be checked more frequently, particularly if you have any contributory risk factors.

Once high blood pressure has been diagnosed, your blood pressure will need to be closely monitored until it is brought under control. After your blood pressure has been controlled, your GP or practice nurse will measure your blood pressure every few months.

Blood pressure checks are usually available on request at most GP surgeries and health clinics. Many also have a policy of arranging regular checks for you. Children usually have their blood pressure routinely tested as part of their regular programme of health checks.

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you should have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis, even if it is not high.

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Faq Series: Is High Blood Pressure A Disability

Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, Amendment Act , a person who suffers from hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, can be a qualified individual with a disability entitled to statutory protections in certain circumstances.

Essentially, in order to qualify for these protections, the HBP must significantly interfere with the individual’s ability to work. For instance, a driver of a commercial vehicle subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Regulations would be disqualified from becoming a licensed commercial driver if he or she has a “current clinical diagnosis of high blood pressure likely to interfere with his/her ability to operate a commercial motor vehicle safely”.

Is High Blood Pressure A Disability Covered By The Ada

The answer is yes, according to the ruling of a federal appeals court in the case, Gogos v. AMS Mech. Sys., Inc., 737 F.3d 1170, 1173 .

In this case, the plaintiff had a blood pressure spike that created a short-terms problem that quickly passed. The court mainly decided what the transitory nature of the spike meant in terms of whether the high blood pressure was a condition constituting a disability under the ADA with the following analysis:

Lexington, Kentucky ADA lawyer Robert Abell represents individuals and employees in disability discrimination cases under the ADA contact him at 859-254-7076.

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Filing A Disability Claim For High Blood Pressure Or Hypertension

First, you will be required to provide a lot of medical evidence.

The insurance company may require reports from any time your blood pressure was measured. If you have HBP, chances are it has been measured many times by your physician and your healthcare team.

Youll need to prepare your treating physicians office for the requests from the insurance company that are about to begin. They are a key part of your claim.

The insurance company will also want to see any and all treatments for high blood pressure. That will include any prescriptions, recommendations for changes in lifestyle habits and any other treating doctors. Some example include:

• If your high blood pressure has resulted from kidney disease, they will want to see everything from your urologist or nephrologist.
• If your high blood pressure has caused any cardiovascular disease, the insurance company will need to see any and all records from your cardiologist.
• If you have gone to the ophthalmologist for problems with your eyesight that have been connected to high blood pressure, those records will be needed as well.
• At its core, however, is the manner in which the doctor can and will provide supporting information, more than just the conclusion that you are disabled.