Heart and blood vessel conditions—collectively known as cardiovascular diseases—can develop over years or even decades before triggering an acute health crisis.
It’s widely known that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Genetic and family history, exercise, diet, and lifestyle choices can increase the likelihood that an individual will develop the blood vessel ailments that can lead to heart disease. Many of these circulatory system ailments are disabling conditions in their own right, of course, but they are most known for the damage they can inflict on cardiac muscles in a heart attack or the weakening effect that comes from restricting blood flow to the heart.
The Social Security Administration, which evaluates disability claims for two important government programs, recognizes that cardiovascular diseases are major causes of disability in the United States. People who file well-documented applications for disability benefits can successfully obtain payment under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program—available to people with strong work histories—or the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program—available to low-income people regardless of work history.
Key Cardiovascular Conditions That Can Earn You Disability Coverage
A few congenital heart conditions are included in the Social Security Administration’s list of ailments qualifying for the Compassionate Allowances program. This list of the most serious and most often fatal conditions will get an applicant the fastest consideration for his disability claim. However, these diseases tend to be very rare.
Most applicants will seek to establish their disability by applying for coverage under a Blue Book listing—a description of a diagnosis with a list of related symptoms that, taken together, mean the applicant will not be able to work productively for at least a year. If an applicant cannot quite match the specifics of a Blue Book listing, he may still be able to qualify by proving that his residual functional capacity—the amount of productive work he is able to accomplish—is too limited. Even for a desk job.
Pennsylvania residents from Harrisburg, Steelton, Palmyra, Elizabethtown, and other nearby communities have obtained SSDI benefits by proving they are disabled due to these and similar cardiovascular conditions:
- Angina
- Aorta aneurysm, or aneurysm of another major blood vessel
- Arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis
- Chronic venous insufficiency
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart transplant
- Ischemic heart disease
- Peripheral artery disease
- Recurrent arrhythmias
- Stroke
Do Not Have Your SSDI Application for a Heart Condition Rejected
Statistics show that for every disability application that is granted, about two more are rejected. What makes the difference? The applicants who get successful consideration have made sure all their paperwork is in order, that they have met the requirements for the program, and have a compelling medical record to prove their disability.
If you are applying to get SSDI benefits for your cardiovascular disease, are you absolutely sure you can get everything right the first time? Are you willing to spend time to appeal a decision against you if your application is denied?
At Schmidt Kramer, our Harrisburg disability lawyers have extensive experience working with central Pennsylvania applicants who want things right from the beginning. We regularly work with first-time SSDI applicants as well as clients who are appealing denials of the SSDI claims.
We cannot promise to get you SSDI benefits. We can—and do—promise that we will not bill you for our time unless we can get you the disability income you deserve. Call us at 717-888-8888 or (717) 888-8888 toll-free to arrange a confidential review of your case for FREE, without any obligation. We’d like the opportunity to show you how we can help you.