Heart Conditions That May Qualify for Disability Benefits

Disability

If you have a heart condition, then you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits if you meet the other requirements. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a specific category in the Blue Book for cardiovascular system impairments.  According to the SSA, a cardiovascular impairment is any disorder that affects the proper functioning of the heart or the circulatory system.

The cardiovascular system section lists eight different heart problems, including:

• Chronic heart failure, when the heart isn’t able to supply enough blood to the body because it has become weakened in some way. It often leads to a related condition, congestive heart failure.
• Ischemic heart disease, which occurs when the heart muscle cannot get a sufficient blood supply.
• Recurrent arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rates.
• Symptomatic congenital heart disease,  which is birth defects in the heart that cause malfunctions
• Heart transplant
• Aneurysm of aorta or major branches, which is swelling in the major arteries of the heart due to heart disease
• Chronic venous insufficiency, or circulation problem due to damaged veins
• Peripheral arterial disease, which is impaired function of outlying arteries.

If your symptoms meet or exceed one of the above-described listings, then you may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits.

How the SSA Determines If You Are Disabled

To qualify for SSDI and/or SSI, you will first need to prove that you are unable to work due to a medical or mental health condition. The SSA uses a five-step sequential process to determine if a person is disabled:

• A person cannot earn more than $1,550 a month from working (known as substantial gainful employment) when claiming disability;
• A person must have an impairment or combination of impairments that significantly limit their ability to do basic work and is expected to last for at least 12 months or result in death;
• Social Security will review whether a person’s condition meets all of the requirements for a condition on SSA’s list of disabling conditions (the “Blue Book”), or has other factors that equal a condition on that list;
• If not, then the medical impairment must prevent them from performing any of their past work; and
• They must not be able to do any other type of work, considering their impairment, age, education, past work experience, and any transferable skills (this last step requires Social Security to identify other work that exists in significant numbers in the national economy).

If you can prove that you are disabled under the above-described criteria, then you may be eligible for SSDI and/or SSI benefits. Please note that both disability programs have additional requirements that may impact your eligibility. For example, to be approved for SSDI benefits, you must have paid into the system by working and paying Social Security taxes. On the other hand, the SSA will look at your employment history to determine if you have enough “work credits” to qualify. Usually, you need 40 credits (earning up to 4 per year) to be eligible for SSDI, but younger people may need fewer credits.

Disability Benefit Lawyers Ready to Help

Having a heart condition can make it difficult to perform basic activities – and it can also make it incredibly hard to work. If you have been diagnosed with a cardiovascular impairment, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. At Bross & Frankel, we can help you put together the appropriate evidence and file a disability claim for your heart condition. If your application has been denied, we can guide you through the appeals process.