Diabetes is one of the most common diseases across the world. There are two types of diabetes, known as Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 can be the more fatal of the two types. It is a chronic condition that can give rise to many more diseases and impact many other organs if not controlled.
The glucose level should be under control at all times, and when it is not, it can lead to significant complications. It can even affect your capability to work and earn a living.
Getting disability for diabetes can sometimes be more difficult than getting it for other diseases. This disease impacts different organs in different ways. It can cause nerve damage for one person, while for others, it can harm the kidney.
The following are some long-term health issues a diabetic person can face.
- Heart and blood vessel-related disease.
- Nerve damage (also known as diabetic neuropathy).
- Vision loss
- Sleep apnea
- Kidney damage
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Slow healing of any wound
- Hearing loss
There can be many other ways that diabetes can be disabling. When you file a claim for disability benefits for diabetes, the case goes to the Social Security Administration. The SSA officials check all the details of your application and verify each detail, including your health condition, medical documentation of your past and present medical conditions, workability, etc.
How can you qualify?
You must meet the criteria as per the “Blue Book” listing. Some of the most common issues that trouble diabetic people are:
- Diabetic Retinopathy – A vision-related disease where the person can face poor vision, including blurriness.
- Diabetic peripheral neuropathies – A condition where the nerve gets damaged, impacting the functioning of arms, hands, feet, and legs. A person who faces this condition experiences mobility issues.
- Diabetic Nephropathy – When a person’s kidney is damaged and needs dialysis to survive. If you suffer from this condition, you will likely qualify easily.
- Chronic skin infection – Many skin infections cause severe trouble and prevent the sufferer from working.
- Cardiovascular issues – You can qualify for disability benefits for heart failure when you suffer from peripheral vascular disease, irregular heart rate, chronic heart failure, coronary artery disease, etc.
The signs, symptoms, and general health issues associated with diabetes can increase even if you follow all the prescribed treatment. Despite following a healthy regime and taking medicines, some people face complications due to Type 2 diabetes. As with any type of disease, if you want to seek SSDI and SSI benefits, having proper documents to prove your condition will be essential to getting sufficient monetary benefits from SSA.
Paperwork to keep in check.
To avoid any rejections and get benefits on the first attempt, it is better to keep all the documents organized in advance. It will help you be more confident about not facing denials, and you can show the documents to officials as soon as they ask for it.
The sooner the document verification happens, the sooner your application will get approved. The SSA tends to reject the application if they find any spelling mistakes, misleading information, incomplete details, insufficient documents, or any failure to respond timely to their queries.
A considerable ratio of applications gets rejected due to the lack of proper paperwork to prove the applicant’s long-term disabling conditions. So, compile the following documents and keep them ready to file a disability claim.
- Date when you started facing disabling conditions.
- Date of the first diagnosis.
- Residual Functional Capacity report. This report shows your inability to perform any job.
- Work history
- Treatment that you have already taken for diabetes.
- Suggested treatment plan for future.
Along with the above essentials, it is mandatory to show the applicant’s everyday activities. Things that may answer the questions, ‘whether he can perform his daily chores,’ ‘does he need assistance for brushing his teeth, bathing, eating, and other activities,’ or ‘where SSA officials can ask him to do any kind of job.’
Taking consistent treatment for a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis is essential.
It has been observed that people who skip medicine doses, skip any line of treatment suggested by healthcare professionals, take a break from regular visits to the doctor, or any other related negligent acts tend to face rejections. It would help if you were very consistent in following your treatment from the start.
The SSA talks to your healthcare professionals to verify each detail. They might also talk to your former co-workers to know about your professional life. When you have an experienced disability Lawyer by your side, you can concentrate on your health while your lawyer takes all the appropriate steps to strengthen your case.
In addition to ensuring you have filled out the application correctly, with all the necessary documents and details, your attorney will stand by your side until you receive the benefits. They will talk to the SSA officials, healthcare professionals and colleagues, take care of deadlines, and do other necessities in order to obtain your disability benefits for diabetes.
