Social Security Disability Conditions – Respiratory System
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI or SSD)
Is a payroll-funded program to supplement the income of those unable to work due to disability.
Respiratory System Disorders and SSDI
Chronic disorders of the respiratory system can cause ventilatory problems and gas change abnormalities. When this happens, the result is an irreversible loss of lung function often accompanied by symptoms including coughing, wheezing, and chest pain.
Certain conditions including emphysema and chronic bronchitis alter pulmonary function by obstructing airways. Disorders affecting pulmonary circulation can lead to pulmonary vascular hypertension, pulmonary heart disease, and right heart failure.
Serious chronic ailments such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, and obstructive sleep apnea can make everyday life very difficult, and chronic lung infections can also lead to serious loss of lung function.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Is both a respiratory disorder and a sleeping disorder characterized by pauses or decreases in the flow of air during breathing while you sleep. These pauses or decreases are caused by narrowed, blocked, or floppy air passages.
Although most people have brief, mild episodes of apnea, usually accompanied by loud snoring, other people suffer from serious effects of this condition, including frequent waking at night, headaches, depression, hyperactivity, impatience, and drowsiness throughout the day.
Because severe apnea can affect your ability to work, the Social Security Administration recognizes obstructive sleep apnea as qualifying condition for SSDI.
If you meet the general qualifications for SSDI eligibility and your obstructive sleep apnea does not respond to treatment and makes it impossible for you to engage in substantial gainful activity, you may qualify for SSDI benefits based on your disability.
To be evaluated for disability, you will normally need to submit your medical history, a physical examination report, a chest x-ray or other acceptable image, and spirometric pulmonary function tests. Additional testing may also be required.
For further details about evaluation of apnea for disability benefits, click here.
For more information about disability conditions relating to your immune system, click here.
General Qualifications for SSDI Eligibility
For you to be eligible for SSDI, 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 SSDI, 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 SSDI.
Applying for SSDI?
If you’re considering applying for Social Security Disability, get started with a free SSDI evaluation. If you’d like more information about Social Security Disability, 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.
Social Security Disability Conditions