Documenting Ptsd For Disability
When you apply for SSDI or SSI benefits, you claim must be supported by solid medical evidence that your condition is serious and long-term. This is true for any medical condition, not just PTSD. To ensure you have a strong claim, consider the following questions:
Do you have a supportive medical provider? When determining your disability, the Social Security Administration reviews your medical records for treatment notes and diagnostics that further describe your situation. Its important to make sure youre on the same page as your provider in terms of your diagnosis and limitations before applying. If your provider doesnt agree that you suffer from PTSD or recommends you continue working, your claim is unlikely to be successful.
Do you seek out and comply with treatment? When suffering from any mental illness, it is often difficult to attend treatment sessions regularly. And some individuals struggle with medication compliance starting and stopping medications that may improve their condition. It is important to comply with prescribed treatments since SSA will evaluate whether your condition responds to treatment. If your condition does respond or if there is a question as to whether you are complying with treatment, it is more difficult for SSA to find you disabled.
Social Security Disability For Veterans With Ptsd
by Jason BarilJan 30, 2020
Social Security Disability For Veterans With PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder is an unfortunate but common affliction among Americas military personnel. Unfortunately, this is an anxiety-related mental health disorder. In fact, it is resulting from experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening or extraordinarily dangerous event. As a result, being in situations such as a combat death, natural disaster, sexual assault, terrorist attack, or fatal accident can cause PTSD. The fact is, that PTSD can prevent a veteran from returning to normal life after his or her service has concluded. In addition, it can harm social and family relationships. Also, it can inhibit a veterans ability to work. In addition to its negative effects on mental wellbeing, research has shown that PTSD can contribute to other conditions. Additionally, they may be affecting veterans physical health later in life. For example, it can lead to conditions such as cardiovascular or autoimmune disorders. In some cases, Social Security Disability benefits are available for veterans with PTSD. If you are a military veteran suffering from PTSD, you may qualify. Below, learn about what post-traumatic stress disorder is, and how military personnel may qualify for disability for veterans with PTSD.
How Much Disability Can I Get For Ptsd
If the SSA determines that you are disabled because PTSD prevents you from working, you may be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. The SSA has an online benefits calculator that can help you estimate potential SSD benefits. An SSD attorney can also help you estimate how much you could receive in Disability benefits, as well as help you seek the maximum benefits for your PTSD.
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How Is Ptsd Diagnosed For Social Security
You may have wondered what a mental health doctor looks for in order to make a diagnosis of PTSD. You might even wonder if PTSD requires trauma resulting from exposure to extreme danger such as combat or experience of an assault. This is how most people generally think of PTSD. However, the National Institute of Health cautions that not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. While victims of or witnesses to extreme violence and/or danger may certainly be who we think of when we think of PTSD, sometimes, an event in which the person who is ultimately traumatized was never in actual danger or perceived danger can result in PTSD. The National Institute of Health uses the unexpected death of a loved one as an example of such a trauma-inducing event which can ultimately lead to PTSD.
In addition to an underlying trauma, the National Institute of Health requires that an individual experience at least one re-experiencing symptom, one avoidance symptoms, two arousal and reactivity symptoms and two cognition and mood symptoms to diagnose PTSD in a patient. Examples of these are listed here. While these criteria sound complicated, they really are not. They are as simple as having bad dreams or intrusive thoughts about ones trauma avoiding anything that reminds you of the underlying trauma irritability trouble sleeping or feeling guilty, anxious, or depressed.
How Does Social Security Determine Disability For Ptsd
There are a couple ways an individual may qualify specifically for disability for PTSD.
The first is to satisfy the Social Security Administration listing in its Blue Book of qualifying conditions. PTSD is in the Mental Disorders section, technically under section 12.15 Trauma- and stressor-related disorders.
To meet this requirement, an applicant must show both A and B, or both A and C.
A) The patient can show medical documentation for all the following:
- Exposure to actual threatened death, violence, or serious injury.
- Additional involuntary re-experiencing of the traumatic event.
- Avoidance of external reminders of the incident.
- Mood and behavioral disturbances.
- Increases in exaggerated reactions and arousal responses.
And the applicant must show:
B) Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two of the following:
- Understanding, remembering, or applying information.
- Interacting with others.
- Concentrating, persisting, or staying on schedule.
- Adapting or managing oneself.
Or, the applicant must satisfy part C:
C) Their condition is serious and persistent, including medical proof of its existence for at least two years as well as:
- Proof of living in a highly protected or supervised situation or undergoing intense therapy.
- Evidence that there is marginal adjustment. This means the applicant has minimal capacity to adapt to new demands that arent already part of their daily life.
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Qualifying Vocationally For Ptsd If You Don’t Meet The Medical Listing
PTSD can affect every person differently. Your symptoms might not cause marked or extreme limitations, but they can still prevent you from working. If your medical record is supportive, Social Security can still find you disabled “vocationally” even when they don’t think you’re disabled under the medical listing for PTSD.
To figure out whether you can work any jobs, Social Security will want to know all the ways that PTSD interferes with your activities of daily living . The agency asks you about your ADLs because it makes sense that something you’re having trouble doing at home would be something you’d struggle with at work.
For example, if your mind is so preoccupied with revisiting a traumatic event that you’re having difficulty paying attention to a TV show, you might have a hard time following simple instructions from an employer. Or, if you frequently yell at your friends and family when irritable, it’s unlikely that you’ll do well in a job where you’d have to deal with the other employees or the public.
People with PTSD are often diagnosed with other mental impairments such as anxiety and depression. Be sure to document any treatment you’re receiving for these conditions as well. Social Security will look at the combined effect of your impairments when assessing your RFC. So even if your PTSD is not disabling by itself, if you have other conditions, the combination of your limitations can add up to a disabling RFC.
How To Get Ptsd Disability Benefits
Help is available for people trying to secure PTSD disability benefits.
- Social workers and case managers are agents that advocate for their clients in many ways, including helping people through the PTSD benefits application process.
- Social Security offices in local communities provide assistance with the PTSD disability application process
- Socialsecuritylaw.com is an organization of dedicated disability lawyers that efficiently and quickly help people secure disability benefits.
- Social Security Disability Advocates provides free evaluation and assistance for applying for PTSD disability.
If you prefer to complete the application process on your own, Social Security and SSDI each have websites that provide information, eligibility screening tools, instructions, and applications.
If you are a military veteran, you may qualify for PTSD VA benefits, too. Combat PTSD and military sexual trauma are two types of posttraumatic stress disability claims. These benefits are non-taxable and are not dependent on receiving Social Security or vocational-allowance benefits. Contact the National Center For PTSD for both military and civilian information.
When, despite time and treatment, the effects of PTSD dont diminish and PTSD prevents someone from working, PTSD becomes a disability. When this happens, PTSD disability benefits can provide financial help by removing one very big stressor from someones plate thats already full of trauma-induced stress.
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Your Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Disability Case
If you are disabled because of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that is severe enough to prevent you from working, you may be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income .
You can learn more by filling out a quick and free evaluation form regarding your case.
Working closely with medical professionals and a qualified Social Security disability attorney or disability advocate to collect and present the appropriate documentation to support your disability claim in front of the Disability Determination Services can help to ensure that your Post Traumatic Stress Disorder disability case will have the highest possible chance of success.
What Kind Of Documentation Do You Need
Any PTSD disability claims success is contingent on providing sufficient documentation.
To begin, you need to provide Social Security with all relevant medical records over the last few years. You can get these records from your medical office, your therapist, and from other medical facilities that may have treated you previously.
In addition, you should ask your mental health provider to complete an RFC form on your behalf or write a letter for the same reasons. The RFC form will ask for an official diagnosis and ask for answers regarding your ability to:
- Maintain concentration on a single task
- Make work-related decisions
- Remember and carry out complex instructions
- Be on time to work
Essentially, your mental health care provider can maximize your chances of getting disability benefits by filling out an RFC form and answering the above questions honestly. Your mental health provider should state their medical basis for whatever their opinions are, as well as recommend whether or not you should receive disability benefits.
In addition to that evidence, you should try to obtain third-party statements that are written by coworkers, former bosses, as well as friends and family members. These can all help demonstrate that you arent able to work and should receive disability benefits accordingly.
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Does Ssdi For Ptsd Impact Va Disability Benefits
Social Security Disability Insurance is available to any qualified individual who submits for it. Obtaining approval is the difficult part. It is worth hiring a Social Security disability lawyer if you are going to apply for benefits. Veterans Affairs Disability is available as well. Applicants can submit for both types of benefits at the same time. The two benefit programs are administered by separate parts of the government. To obtain SSDI, the individual must have built up a substantial amount of work credit and suffer from a qualifying condition. An SSDI approval is not impacted by a recipients VA benefit award. Similarly, approval for VA benefits is not impacted by SSDI benefits.
How To Gather Medical Evidence Of Ptsd For A Social Security Disability Case
You knew it, your friends knew it, and your doctor has confirmed it: you are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder . Your episodes and anxiety is interfering with your work and home life, and youre ready to take the time off you need to deal with the emotional strainbut how can you support your family if you cannot work while you recover?
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General Requirements For Ptsd Disability Benefits
Two paths exist to receiving disability for PTSD :
- Meet the Social Security disability requirement, or
- Obtain a medical-vocational allowance
- Experience emotional disturbance due to recurrent flashbacks, nightmares, or memories
- These experiences must interfere with daily activities, social life, or concentration
- Medical evidence provided by a doctor must include a detailed description the persons PTSD, notation on what intensifies symptoms and how the symptoms affect his/her ability to function at home and at work, and documentation on how the persons account of PTSD matches the doctors observations.
If someone doesnt meet the full disability requirements, he/she may still obtain a medical-vocational allowance. Despite the fact that the above criteria arent fully met, if the person is unable to work due to the effects of PTSD such as sleep problems , difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and more, he/she is eligible to receive PTSD benefits in the form of a medical-vocational allowance.
Get A No Obligation Free Legal Consultation Today
If you, or someone you love, are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and you want help applying for SSD benefits, or if your application was denied, contact us right away.
Remember, you have only 60 days to file an appeal.
Hiring an attorney may mean the difference between whether or not you collect SSD benefits. Trust our experienced attorneys to get you the money you deserve
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What Are The Functional Criteria For Ptsd
Once the existence of PTSD is established, you must exhibit how your PTSD limits your mental functioning and your ability to function independently. The SSA will determine the degree to which your PTSD affects your ability to work based on four areas of mental functioning. These include your ability to:
- Understand, remember, or apply information.
- Interact with others.
- Concentrate or maintain pace.
- Adapt or manage oneself.
The SSA will consider the frequency of difficulty you would experience when attempting to perform these activities and whether you could function without help or supervision.
To satisfy the criteria, you must have either one extreme limitation or two marked limitations in these areas. To measure the four areas of mental functioning and determine the degree of your limitations, the SSA will use a five-point rating scale.
Applying For Workers Compensation Benefits
You can file a claim for benefits through your employers workers compensation insurance. Your PTSD diagnosis must be a direct result of performing your work-related duties. Experiencing a traumatic car accident outside the course of your employment would not qualify you for coverage.
Upon approval of your workers compensation claim, you are entitled to healthcare benefits. The insurance company must cover the cost of treatment related to your PTSD symptoms. State law requires you to get your treatment with a medical provider authorized by the Workers Compensation Board. You could be forced to pay for your medical bills out of pocket if you see a doctor the board does not approve.
Lost wage benefits are also available if your PTSD causes a reduction in income or keeps you from your job for longer than seven days. Payments are two-thirds of the average weekly wage you earned prior to your diagnosis multiplied by your disability rating.
A disability rating is a rating a doctor assigns based on the severity of a medical condition. If your medical provider believes your PTSD symptoms affect your functional capacity by 20 percent, they could assign you a 20 percent disability rating. However, if they think you have a total disability due to your diagnosis, they could give you a 100 percent disability rating.
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Our Social Security Attorneys Can Help With Your Claim
At Keller & Keller, our Social Security lawyers have been helping people with disabilities get the benefits that they’ve earned since 1936. Whether you need to file your initial application, are facing a hearing, or even if you’ve already been denied, we can help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with our legal team.
Winning Long Term Disability Benefits For Ptsd From The Insurance Company
Convincing the insurance company that PTSD is a disability can be an uphill battle. What does it take to show an insurance carrier that you are unable to work because of your disorder and its complications?
Your first action is to read the policy and understand any limitations and exclusions. Here are a few common restrictive provisions written into most long term disability policies:
- Insurance policies often take a hard line and limit coverage of mental and nervous conditions. This umbrella term generally limits PTSD and other mental health disorders to 24-months coverage. If you are awarded short-term disability benefits, just as the 24-months of benefits expire the insurer will say you do not qualify for long-term disability, and disability payments will end.
- LTD policies often have an act of war exclusion upon which insurers may try to base denials of disability benefits for PTSD.
- Most insurance policies will require that you also apply for Social Security disability benefits. The reason is, any disability payments the insurance company pays you will be offset by the amount of your Social Security disability payments. And just because Social Security approves your disability claim for PTSD, this has no bearing on whether your insurance company will approve your claim for long-term disability benefits for PTSD.
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What Must A Person Submit To Prove They Meet The Ssas Disability Requirements
An applicant will need to show medical records which may include doctors notes, treatment records, and prescriptions for medications. A mental health professional will also need to submit a Mental Residual Functional Capacity form attesting to the patients condition.
Additionally, it may help to include third party statements from former bosses, colleagues, and family membersor friends. These letters should focus on their observations and interactions with the affected individual more than medical diagnoses. Remember, the goal of all of this is being able to show how PTSD renders the applicant incapable of working.