SSD – Cardiovascular System Impairment
Chronic Heart Failure
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI or SSD)
Is a payroll-funded program to supplement the income of those unable to work due to disability.
General Qualifications for SSD Eligibility
For you to be eligible for SSD, your disability must last for at least a year or be terminal. You must also be under age 65 to be eligible, as 65 is normally the age of Medicare eligibility.
To be eligible for SSD, you must have accumulated a prescribed number of Social Security credits (normally accumulated through work experience and payment into Social Security) during the 10 years immediately preceding disability.
Requirements vary according to age, and if you suffer disability before age 23 you may be able to draw on your parents’ Social Security credits without affecting your parents’ eligibility for SSD.
Cardiovascular System Impairment and SSD
A cardiovascular system impairment can be any congenital or acquired disorder affecting proper functioning of the heart or circulatory system. Cardiovascular impairment is a result of heart disease.
Cardiovascular impairments include arrhythmia, Ischemic heart disease, certain conditions affecting the veins and arteries, and chronic heart failure.
Chronic heart failure (CHF)
Is inability of the heart to pump sufficient oxygenated blood to body tissues. Symptoms include signs of pulmonary or systemic congestion or limited cardio output.
The two main types of chronic heart failure are predominant systolic dysfunction, the heart’s inability to contract normally and expel sufficient blood, and predominant diastolic dysfunction, the heart’s inability to relax and fill normally.
Because chronic heart failure can affect your ability to work and carry out activities of daily living, the Social Security Administration recognizes this syndrome as a qualifying condition for SSD.
If you meet the general qualifications for Social Security Disability eligibility and chronic heart failure makes it impossible for you to engage in substantial gainful activity, you may qualify for SSD benefits based on your disability.
To be evaluated for disability, you will need to submit a detailed medical history, a physical examination report, laboratory studies, and any prescribed treatment and response to treatment. A longitudinal clinical record covering at least a three-month period of observations and treatment is required in most cases.
You will also need to submit medically acceptable imaging confirming your diagnosis.
For further details about evaluation of chronic heart failure for disability benefits, click here.
For more information about disability conditions relating to cardiovascular impairment, click here.
If you’re considering applying for Social Security Disability, click here for a free SSD evaluation. If you’d like more information about disability conditions, a bonded, licensed MedicareMall representative will be happy to answer your questions. We’ll also be glad to answer any questions you may have about Medicare or Medigap.
Contact MedicareMall now and we’ll make it our priority to help you make the best-informed decisions possible when it comes to your health or disability.