What Medical Conditions Qualify for Disability?

When dealing with health issues, most employees will attempt to tough it out for as long as possible to avoid taking paid (or unpaid) days off or resigning. However, when their conditions cause them pain, impede their work, and prevent them from carrying out their everyday tasks, the next step is to make a disability claim. There are hundreds of physical and mental health conditions that could cause employees to file for disability benefits, including:

  • Musculoskeletal Disorders
  • Spinal/Nervous System Disorders
  • Cancers/Tumors
  • Cardiovascular/Circulatory Diseases
  • Mental Illnesses/Behavioral Disorders

Unfortunately, due to the high number of potential health problems and the difficulties in proving the severity of the disabling disorder or illness, the Social Security Administration (SSA) frequently denies disability benefits. Fortunately, Philadelphia’s long-term disability lawyers at Rosen Moss Snyder LLP are prepared to help those who were turned down by the SSA to get the disability benefits they deserve. If you are looking to make a disability claim, take a look at the most common conditions that qualify for SSA benefits.

Most Common Conditions for SSA Disability Claims

Above, we mentioned a few of the standard condition categories that lead to disability. We will now explore a few of the conditions within those categories that we believe to be the most prevalent in the country.

Back Pain

While this is, by and large, the most common condition that leads people to make a claim, the SSA is frequently “on the fence” about whether it is disabling enough to warrant disability benefits. Back pain is a common condition for most adults; however, if the symptoms are severe enough and the medical evidence is strong enough, benefits may be provided.

Spinal Disorders

These disorders include scoliosis, degenerative disc disease, and osteoarthritis. For many people with spinal disorders, the conditions and their symptoms make everyday tasks nearly impossible. However, the SSA requires the condition to meet stringent requirements. Those making claims need convincing medical evidence of an underlying condition matched with other proofs of disability.

Cancer

In 2018, over 1.7 million people were diagnosed with some form of cancer in the U.S., and a projected total of over 600,000 people died as a result of the disease. There are many types of cancer, as well as varying levels of severity depending on the situation, so applicants will not be approved to receive disability benefits solely because of a cancer diagnosis. Cancer must prevent the claimant from being able to work for over a year before consideration.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

COPD is closely linked to smoking and seriously affects the lungs, causing breathing difficulties and chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both. There is no cure for COPD, but the SSA will need to know the effectiveness of treatments along with proof of how the disease’s symptoms are affecting the employee’s ability to work, among many other requirements.

Anxiety Disorder

Although anxiety is a natural human reaction to various problems, when the level of anxiety surpasses the stimulus, it can disable the person dealing with the disorder. Symptoms include panic, heart palpitations, tension, and hyperventilation. Since anxiety is normal in all people, the SSA needs to be sure that the claimant is credible and has undergone medical and psychiatric treatment. Anxiety Disorder is not medically determinable, so the evidence must be convincing.

This blog is certainly not a comprehensive list of all conditions that can lead to a disability claim, but it does offer a snapshot of the various categories of disabling conditions. If you have a disabling condition and you either wish to make a disability claim or have had your application denied by the SSA, contact the ERISA disability lawyers in Philadelphia at Rosen Moss Snyder LLP today. Schedule a free consultation with a qualified attorney to go over your situation and determine the next steps in the process.